Holly R. Harris, MPH, ScD

Holly Harris, faculty portrait at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, September 26, 2018, in Seattle, Washington.
Institution: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Category: Preventing and understanding the risk for ovarian cancer

Holly R. Harris, MPH, ScD
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Seattle, WA

Identification of ovarian cancer risk factors among women with endometriosis

Although we know endometriosis increases ovarian cancer risk, we do not know how to identify which individuals with endometriosis will develop ovarian cancer. Dr. Harris will run the first large-scale analysis of women with endometriosis to identify the characteristics that may be most important for ovarian cancer development. She will combine data from 10 studies that followed patients with endometriosis for up to 35 years. This work will identify a subset of high-risk individuals based on risk factors (such as medication use, prior surgeries, personal factors, health factors) who may substantially benefit from closer monitoring or more aggressive endometriosis treatment to prevent the progression to ovarian cancer.