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Ovarian Cancer Research Seminar Series

The Rivkin Center and the American Association for Cancer Research are proud to present the Virtual Ovarian Cancer Research Seminar Series in September 2022 in honor of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

 

SEMINAR SERIES INFO

The 14th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium will take place in the form of a Virtual Seminar Series that will provide an educational opportunity and keep our community connected. The goal of the Seminar Series is to bring together clinicians and researchers from across many disciplines and institutions worldwide to share ideas and advance the field of ovarian cancer research. The Seminars seek to enhance the understanding and knowledge of ovarian cancer, discuss the most recent innovations in the field of ovarian cancer research, and address pressing concerns of the leaders in the clinical and research community.

The Seminar topics were developed by our Planning Committee and each Seminar will feature invited lectures by experts in the field, as well as Lightning Round talks from selected abstracts. Abstracts not selected for the Lightning Round talks may be invited to submit a virtual poster. AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM will be offered for the live, virtual activity. Registration will cover all four Seminars; you cannot register for individual Seminars. For registrants who are unable to join us live, recordings of the Seminars will be made available OnDemand for 90 days on the AACR website.

Continuing Medical Education Activity – AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM available. Visit the CME tab for more information.

SEMINAR TOPICS
  • Precision Medicine
  • Immuno-oncology
  • Prevention and Early Detection
  • Healthcare Disparities and Patient Advocacy
Continuing Medical Education Activity AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM will be available.
CONTACT

For questions, please contact Jackie Lang at jackie.lang@rivkin.org or (206)490-0847 x104.

2020 Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium

Program and Planning Committee

2020 Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium

Report in International Journal of Gynecological Cancer

To join the Rivkin Center Science email list and receive information for researchers and clinicians about ovarian cancer research grants and symposia send an email to Jackie Lang, PhD.

To join the live, virtual seminars, you must register for the Seminar Series. Please visit the Registration tab. 

Each seminar will consist of two full-length talks from invited experts, a round of 5-minute lightning round talks from selected abstracts, and a fireside chat, where the two main presenters and the moderator will dive into a deeper discussion of the challenges and future directions of that specific field.

The four seminars will take place on September 21, 22, 28, and 29, 2022 from 12-2 pm PDT.

Seminar Agenda

The agenda for each two-hour seminar will be roughly as follows. Please note that all times are in Pacific Time.

12:00 PM – 12:05 PM

12:05 PM – 12:35 PM

12:35 PM – 1:05 PM

1:05 PM – 1:45 PM

1:45 PM – 2:00 PM

Welcome & Intro

Speaker 1 (talk & Q&A)

Speaker 2 (talk & Q&A)

Lightning Round talks (5 5-minute talks & group Q&A)

Fireside Chat

Wednesday, September 21, 2022
Precision Medicine

Moderator


Speaker 1

Neil Johnson, PhD
Fox Chase Cancer Center

Rugang Zhang, PhD
The Wistar Institute

Speaker 2

 

Additional Expert

 

Lightning Talks

Clare Scott, MB, PhD
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

James Lillard, PhD, MBA
Morehouse

Heng Liu, PhD
The Wistar Institute

Timothy Starr, PhD
University of Minnesota

John Krais, PhD
Fox Chase Cancer Center

Daniel Bondeson, PhD
The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

Andreea Newtson, MD
University of Nebraska Medical Center 

Thursday, September 22, 2022
Prevention and Early Detection

Moderator


Speaker 1

Goli Samimi, PhD
National Cancer Institute

Kathryn Pennington, MD
University of Washington

Speaker 2

 

Lightning Talks

Kathryn Alsop, PhD
Peter MacCullum Cancer Centre in Melbourne

Huda Atiya, PhD
University of Pittsburgh

Hui Zong, PhD
University of Virginia

Talayeh Ghezelayagh, MD
University of Washington

Sarah Irvin, PhD, MS
National Cancer Institute

Huy Dinh, PhD
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Wednesday, September 28, 2022
Immuno-oncology

Moderator


Speaker 1

Christina Annunziata, MD
National Cancer Institute

Jose Conejo-Garcia, MD, PhD
Moffitt Cancer Center

Speaker 2

 

Lightning Talks

Tonya Webb, PhD
University of Maryland

Oliver Dorigo, MD, PhD
Stanford University School of Medicine

Haonan Lu, PhD
Imperial College London

Inga-Maria Launonen
University of Helsinki

Franklin Ning
National Cancer Institute

Z Ping Lin, PhD
Yale University School of Medicine

Thursday, September 29, 2022
Healthcare Disparities & Patient Advocacy

Moderator


Speaker 1

Sarah Temkin, MD
National Cancer Institute

Tomi Akinyemiju, PhD
Duke University School of Medicine

Speaker 2

 

Lightning Talk

 

 

Patient Advocate Speakers

Sophia George, PhD
University of Miami

Anna Jo Smith MD, MPH, MSc
University of Pennsylvania

Anjali Gupta
Duke University

Will L.

Kimberly Richardson

Registration

REGISTER NOW

Individuals wishing to participate in the seminar series must register online through the link above. Registration will not be processed without full payment. All fees must be in U.S. currency, drawn on a U.S. bank. Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are also accepted for payment. Online registrations will be confirmed by email immediately. Receipts can also be obtained online.

Please note: Registration includes access to all four (4) dates of the Virtual Seminar Series. Single session registration is not available.

Registration Rates

1 Nonmember pre/postdoctoral students must have their registrar, dean, or department head certify that they are enrolled at the university and working toward a degree or fellowship in a field related to cancer research.

2 If you have not previously participated in any AACR activity as a Patient Advocate or Survivor, please complete the advocate verification form to request the complementary registration for this seminar series. The AACR Survivor and Patient Advocacy Department will contact you regarding approval. Email advocacy@aacr.org for questions.

ACCESSING THE VIRTUAL SEMINAR SERIES

Registrants must log in to myAACR and go to “Events” to access the seminar series. The “Attend” button on your digital ticket will become enabled approximately 30 minutes prior to the first session.

The virtual seminar series platform will be available starting on September 21, 2022, at 11:30 am PT/2:30 pm ET and will provide access to live sessions and platform to submit questions, view the final program, abstracts being presented, short video presentations of posters, supporters, and related series information. Sessions (synchronized slides and audio) will be available by October 13 for on-demand viewing and will remain available until December 29, 2022.

REFUND POLICY

Requests for refunds must be made in writing and received by the AACR Meetings Department by September 1, 2022.  Refund requests may be sent to meetings@aacr.org. There will be a $75 administrative fee for processing cancellations received by September 1, 2022. After this date, no refunds can be given.

REGISTER NOW

Continuing Medical Education (CME)

ACCREDITATION STATEMENT

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and the Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer. The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education (CME) activities for physicians.

CREDIT DESIGNATION STATEMENT

AACR has designated this internet live activity for a maximum of 8.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Credit certification for individual sessions may vary, dependent upon compliance with the ACCME Accreditation Criteria. The final number of credits may vary from the maximum number indicated above.

CLAIMING (CME) CREDIT

Physicians and other health care professionals seeking AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM for this live continuing medical education activity must complete the online CME Request for Credit Survey by Friday, November 18, 2022. Certificates will only be issued to those who complete the survey. The Request for Credit Survey will be available via a link on the 14th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium website or via email. Your CME certificate will be sent to you via email after the completion of the activity.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 8.0 Medical Knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.  

Request for Credit Surveys:

September 21: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JVFH5GB

September 22: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MZBNYJX

September 28: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NLHTK7K

September 29: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NLDY5SM

STATEMENT OF EDUCATIONAL NEED, TARGET AUDIENCE, AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Approximately 19,880 women in the United States will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year. The overall 5-year survival rate is only 50% for ovarian cancer –lower in African-American women, and the rate is markedly lower for advanced stage cancers. Sadly, the survival rates have only improved slightly over 40 years, and access to healthcare and other socioeconomic factors present additional obstacles to improved outcomes. While ovarian cancer is the most deadly gynecologic cancer, it is underrepresented in both research funding and research participants. Additionally complicating the difficulty in diagnosing the disease beyond its physical complexities is that ovarian cancer is a rare disease and many providers will have limited access to information on the signs, symptoms, and latest techniques to diagnose the disease.

In this course we are addressing major needs in ovarian cancer care and research by educating health care providers and researchers in the latest research on improving treatment, early detection, and prevention, as well as recognizing healthcare disparities and promoting a better understanding of the many diseases under the umbrella of ovarian cancer.

  1. Attendees will need access to and updates on the most recent research in a wide array of topics including novel treatment methods, best early detection techniques, basic biology and categorization of the disease, and recent data on risk, prevention, and progression of ovarian cancer.
  2. Attendees will need information on recent trends in specialized fields such as cancer control strategies and immunotherapy to understand the continuum between prevention and cure.
  3. Attendees will need opportunities to network with other experts in the field to initiate collaborations in research and in clinical care.

The Planning Committee has designed this event to benefit the following audiences: basic scientists, epidemiologists, clinical scientists, and clinicians as well as geneticists, public health researchers, nurses, and advocates for ovarian cancer research. This conference encourages the collaboration between professionals with a wide variety of expertise including: gynecologic oncology, medical oncology, pathology, genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, public health, behavioral epidemiology, translational research, patient care, and patient advocacy.

After participating in this CME activity, physicians should be able to:

  • Define cancer control strategies to detect ovarian cancer at the earliest stages and to prevent the disease
  • Explain the elements of tumor microenvironment and immunology as they contribute to ovarian cancer growth and as possible targets for treatment
  • Identify novel therapies against ovarian cancer, and assess the response and resistance of tumors to precision medicine
  • Detect signs of racial disparities in the access to and quality of cancer care
  • Explain the importance of patient advocacy in ovarian cancer research, clinical trials, and bedside treatment

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

It is the policy of the AACR that the information presented at AACR CME activities will be unbiased and based on scientific evidence. To help participants make judgments about the presence of bias, AACR will provide information that Scientific Program Committee members and speakers have disclosed all financial relationships they have with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products or services used by or on patients. All of the relevant financial relationships for these individuals have been mitigated.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF FINANCIAL OR OTHER SUPPORT

This activity is supported by Professional Educational Grants from AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, and Merck.

DISCLOSURE INDEX

Download the disclosure index here.

QUESTIONS ABOUT CME?

Please contact the Office of CME at (215) 440-9300 or cme@aacr.org.

Ovarian Cancer Seminar Series Planning Committee

The purpose of the Planning Committee is to develop the scope and goals of the 14th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium, which will take place in the form of a virtual seminar series. The members’ collective expertise informed the selection of invited speakers, topics of the seminars, and all elements of the programming. The seminar series seeks to enhance the understanding and knowledge of ovarian cancer, especially among junior and young investigators, discuss the most recent innovations in the field of ovarian cancer research, and address the pressing concerns among the leaders of the clinical and research community.

Planning Committee Members:

Christina Annunziata, MD, PhD
Co-Chair

alth

Neil Johnson, PhD
Co-Chair

James Lillard,
PhD, MBA
Co-Chair

Goli Samimi, PhD, MPH
Co-Chair

Jackie Lang, PhD
Rivkin Center

Dean Post
American Association for Cancer Research

Sponsorships

For more information about sponsoring this year’s event, please review our sponsorship packet or contact Wendy Rosen, Director of Development, at wendy.rosen@rivkin.org or (206) 584-2271.

Professional Educational Sponsors

  • GlaxoSmithKline
  • AstraZeneca
  • Merck

Call for Abstracts

The window for abstracts is now closed.

We are accepting research and clinical abstracts in all fields of ovarian cancer research. Select abstracts will be invited to present 5-minute lightning talks during the live virtual seminars. Other abstracts may be invited to submit 5-minute prerecorded virtual poster presentations which will be available OnDemand to all seminar registrants.

Abstract presenters (lightning talks or virtual posters) must register for the seminars. Please carefully review the Abstract Submission Guidelines before submitting your abstract.

ABSTRACTS

Individuals interested in submitting an abstract for presentation during the series must do so through the myAACR online abstract submission service below. Abstract submissions will only be accepted electronically; paper abstracts will not be accepted. The abstract submission deadline is Monday, July 18, 2022, 12 pm PT/3 pm ET.

SUBMIT ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Download and print the abstract submission guidelines.

ABSTRACT CATEGORIES

  • Healthcare Disparities and Patient Advocacy
  • Immuno-Oncology
  • Precision Medicine
  • Prevention and Early Detection
  • Other

NOTIFICATION OF ABSTRACT STATUS

All individuals listed as ABSTRACT PRESENTERS will be notified of acceptance or rejection by email approximately four weeks after the abstract submission deadline. Notices and instructions will be sent to the email address provided at the time of abstract submission. If an abstract is not selected for presentation, the presenter may request a full refund of the registration fee by contacting the AACR Meetings Department at meetings@aacr.org.

PRESENTATION & PUBLICATION

Abstracts selected for presentation during the seminar series (oral presentations or video posters) will be posted on the virtual meeting platform at 11:30 am PT/2:30 pm ET on September 21, 2022. Every effort will be made to reproduce the content of the abstracts as submitted, except in certain circumstances where changes may be made to comply with AACR style. Abstract titles and authors (no data) may be posted on the seminar series website prior to the release of the full abstracts on September 21.

Instructions will be sent to the ABSTRACT PRESENTERS with the date, time, and format for their presentations.

REGISTRATION

If an abstract is not accepted for presentation, the ABSTRACT PRESENTER may request a full refund of the registration fee. For additional information, please visit the Registration webpage.

REQUEST FOR WITHDRAWAL

Once an abstract has been submitted, it may be withdrawn only by written request from the ABSTRACT PRESENTER. The request may be emailed to programs@aacr.org and must be received by Friday, August 26.

SUBMIT ABSTRACT

The Virtual Ovarian Cancer Research Seminar Series is a CME Activity jointly provided by the American Association for Cancer Research and the Rivkin Center.

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Talk to your Family

Talking to your family and identifying cancer in your family tree can be a good indicator of your health risks. Download our Family Tree Worksheet here.  Be sure to include yourself, children, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

Family Tree Worksheet

Get Educated

Know your body and be proactive about your health. Learn about your breast and ovarian health. Learn about the risk factors and signs & symptoms for breast and ovarian cancer.
Learn about these types of cancer

Trusted Healthcare Provider

Having a relationship with a health care provider you know and trust is one of the most important decisions you’ll make about your health care. Click here to find a provider
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Higher Risk in the Ashkenazi Jewish Population

In the general population, around 1 in 400 people carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. People of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry have a 1 in 40 chance of carrying a BRCA mutation, making them 10 times as likely to carry a BRCA mutation as someone in the general population. Whether you’re a man or a woman, if you have a BRCA mutation then there is a 50% chance of passing the mutation on to your children, whether they are boys or girls. It’s important to note that these mutations significantly increase risk, but are not a guarantee a person will get cancer.

Why is the Ashkenazi Jewish population at higher risk?

Over 90% of the BRCA mutations found in the Jewish community are one of three “founder mutations”. A founder mutation is a specific gene mutation in a population that was founded by a small group of ancestors that were geographically or culturally isolated. Because the population was isolated, the rate of founder mutations in descendants is much higher than it would be if the population were larger and co-mingling with more genetically diverse populations. A large expansion in the population caused the current high frequency of the mutations in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. If you are of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, the chance of carrying a BRCA gene mutation compared to the general population is increased tenfold. BRCA mutations can be passed down from either your mother’s or father’s side, and may be associated with any of the following cancers:
  • Breast cancer
  • Ovarian cancer, fallopian tube, peritoneal cancer
  • Male breast cancer
  • Prostate cancer
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Colon Cancer

Ready to take action? Knowledge is power. Take this short quiz to be proactive about your health.

Genes 101

Our bodies are made of many tiny building blocks called cells. Our cells contain a copy of our genome – all of the DNA genetic code we inherited from our parents. Our genome is organized into 46 chromosomes, 23 inherited from mom and 23 from dad. Each chromosome has hundreds or thousands of genes. Each gene has the instructions to make a protein that may control the structure or function of cells, can determine many things including how tall we are or the color of our eyes. Genes also contain instructions for many things inside of us that we cannot see, such as how our bones are formed or how our heart works. Each gene is made up of molecules called nucleic acids (A, T, C, and G). The specific sequence of the nucleic acids holds the instructions that control all the components and their functions in cells.

If the DNA sequence is changed, like a spelling mistake, the instructions may not make sense. The technical term for this change is “mutation,” meaning there is a change to the usual genetic code that may change the instructions stored in the gene. A mutation in a gene that repairs DNA damage or controls cell growth can increase the risk of developing cancer.

Sporadic vs Hereditary Cancers:

Ovarian and breast cancer can be either sporadic or hereditary. Sporadic cancers make up the vast majority (85-90%) of ovarian and breast cancers and are not associated with family history of either cancer or inherited cancer-associated mutations. Sporadic cancers arise from genetic mutations acquired in some cells of the body by events part of normal metabolism and environmental factors. This type of cancer can happen to anyone. Most acquired gene mutations are not shared among relatives or passed on to children.

Hereditary (also known as inherited, or familial) cancers are those that occur due to genetic mutations that are inherited from mom or dad. Other blood relatives may also share these same gene mutations. Parents give one copy of each gene to their children. If a parent has a genetic mutation in a gene, each of their children have a 50% chance of inheriting that mutation. Therefore, even in families with hereditary cancer, not all family members inherit the mutation that is causing cancer, and their risk of cancer is similar to the average person in the general population. Individuals who are suspected to have a family history with high incidence of ovarian, breast, and other cancers may be offered genetic testing to try to find the specific genetic mutation that may put them at risk. Importantly, individuals who do not have a known genetic mutation but have high incidence of ovarian, breast, or other cancers in their families are still considered at higher risk for developing those cancers.

Hereditary cancers often occur at an earlier age than the sporadic form of the same cancer, so experts often recommend starting cancer screening at a younger age for individuals at high risk for hereditary cancer. Hereditary cancers can also be more aggressive than the sporadic form of the same cancer. Individuals who have inherited a gene mutation may be at a higher risk for more than one type of cancer.

BRCA 1 and BRCA 2: Most Common hereditary breast and ovarian cancer

The genes that are most commonly involved in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) are BRCA1 and BRCA2. These genes are named for their link to breast (BR) cancer (CA), but they are also linked to ovarian cancer risk as well as other cancers. Both women and men can inherit mutations in these HBOC genes. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are tumor suppressor genes that have a usual role in our body of providing instructions on repairing DNA damage and preventing cancer. When a family has an inherited mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2, this leads to an increase in cancer risk. Not every man or woman who has inherited a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene will develop cancer, but people who have a mutation do have a significanlty increased chance of developing cancer, particularly cancer of the breasts or ovaries.

While breast and ovarian cancers are the most common cancers diagnosed in people with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, the risk of some other cancers is also increased. Men with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations have a higher risk of early-onset prostate cancer than men without mutations in either gene. Other cancers seen at increased rates, particularly in individuals with BRCA2 mutations, include pancreatic cancer and melanoma. Researchers are continuing to find new genes that are involved in hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer so it is important to follow up with a genetic counselor on a regular basis if hereditary breast and ovarian cancer is likely in your family.

Talk to your family about your health history and take the Assess Your Risk quiz here

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