The Eve Appeal - Gynaecology Cancer Research Fund

Charity seeks women with ovarian cancer to help find
30 genetic markers by Spring 2009

The Eve Appeal charity[1] is asking 2,000 women in the UK with ovarian cancer to take part in research which will help scientists identify 30 disease causing genetic markers over the course of the next two years.

The 2,000 women will be asked to provide lifestyle information and to a donate a blood sample, which will help find genetic and environmental causes of the disease

The search is being launched at the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium[2] conference being held in early May in London.

The Consortium represents leading cancer scientists from 20 different centres worldwide and information from the UK women will go towards data collection from more than 10,000 women with ovarian cancer. This pooling of information will assist in the Consortium’s overall quest to identify some 30 new genetic markers and environmental and lifestyle features that affect the risk of ovarian cancer. Two new markers have already been identified by the Consortium, in a paper[3] published in Cancer Research in April 2007.

Dr Simon Gayther, [4] lead author of this research effort and conference organiser, will also announce plans for the final stage of the Consortium’s research which hopes, by spring 2009, to refine from half a million potential disease causing genetic markers to a final estimated 30.

If you would like further information about helping with the research please contact the Research Team:

[1] The Eve Appeal charity fundraises for research into gynaecological cancers with a current focus on ovarian cancer. It funds research at the world leading Gynaecological Cancer Research Unit at UCL

[2] The Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium comprises scientists from some seven countries and 20 centres worldwide and will be meeting at a Conference organised by Dr Simon Gayther at the Gynaecology Cancer Research Unit (GCRU) at UCL London and supported by charity The Eve Appeal which funds ovarian cancer research.

[3] Simon A. Gayther et al , on behalf of the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium

Tagging Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Cell Cycle Control Genes and Susceptibility to Invasive Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
Cancer Res. 2007 67: 3027-3035.

Abstract accessed at on 23^rd April 2007 - can be found here.

[4] Simon Gayther, PhD is a senior scientific advisor to The Eve Appeal charity and Senior Lecturer at the Gynaecological Cancer Research Unit at University College London