Gynecologic Malignancies Program
Medical Oncology Branch
Mission
The Gynecologic Malignancies Program incorporates the broad areas of clinical research, clinical care, and clinical training in pursuit of treating patients with gynecologic malignancies, specializing in ovarian, fallopian tube, primary peritoneal, endometrial, and cervical cancers. We also have particular interest in BRCA 1/2 mutation carriers with cancer. The goals of the Gynecologic Malignancies Program are to:
- Develop and test therapeutic research strategies for the treatment of gynecologic malignancies by focusing on “bench to bedside” research and combining treatment of standard and novel regimens with a particular focus on targeted therapies in the tumor microenvironment, development of proteomic technologies for early detection, and validation of therapeutic targets.
- Provide clinical care to gynecologic cancer patients enrolled in research protocols through assessment, staging, and treatment of patients, including continuity of care by following patients in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.
- Provide trainees with a comprehensive clinical experience in the management of gynecologic malignancies through in-depth multidisciplinary training in clinical and translational research.
Overview
The Gynecologic Malignancies Program combines pre-clinical and clinical work emphasizing therapies targeted at the tumor microenvironment in rational combinations in an experimental setting with a primary focus on cervical, endometrial, fallopian tube, ovarian, and primary peritoneal cancers. Some of our studies are open to other solid tumor cancers as well. The research and trials are carried out by principal investigators, physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, and staff of the Medical Oncology Branch of the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health.
Ovarian, cervical, endometrial, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancers
Experimental systemic therapies are administered in patients with advanced gynecologic cancer within the frame of prospective Phase I and II clinical studies.
BRCA1/2 mutation carriers with cancer
Our research focuses on women and men with recurrent or progressive breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer in the setting of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation and a move toward particular emphasis on triple negative breast cancers and the use of PARP-inhibitors.
Early detection of ovarian cancer recurrence
Development of a protein fingerprint profile of patients in their first clinical remission and new biomarkers for prediction of persistent or relapsed disease.
The Research Team
Elise Kohn, M.D.
Principal Investigator
Head, Molecular Signaling Section,
Head, Women's Cancers Clinic,
Medical Oncology Branch and Affiliates, CCR, NCI
Co-Chair, Breast and Gynecologic Oncology Faculty Center for Cancer Research
National Cancer Institute
Dr. Kohn is a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School where she also completed residency training in internal medicine; she came to NCI for medical oncology training in the Medicine Branch. Dr. Kohn then joined the Laboratory of Pathology to investigate signal transduction molecular targets in invasion, angiogenesis, and ovarian cancer, and maintained her clinical focus in the translational clinical studies of ovarian cancer. Recently, Dr. Kohn has been involved in the identification and characterization of two proteins involved in ovarian cancer and cellular stress. In parallel, her clinical work has evolved to include the newest proteomic technologies applied to early detection testing and validation of therapeutic targets in clinical trials. Dr. Kohn also applies the advanced proteomic applications to her laboratory studies of stress pathways, growth factor regulation, and angiogenesis.
Dr. Kohn serves on numerous NIH and NCI committees, and she is the newly elected chair of the Integration Panel of the Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Research Program. Dr. Kohn is a participating member and protocol investigator in the Gynecologic Oncology Group, is a judge of the yearly Fellows Award for Research Excellence competition, and is the co-chair of the Breast and Gynecologic Malignancies Faculty. She was recognized with the NCI Diversity Award and Mentor of Merit Award in 2007. Dr. Kohn was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Christina M. Annunziata, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Clinical Investigator
Molecular Signaling Section, Medical Oncology Branch and Affiliates, CCR, NCI
Dr. Annunziata is a graduate of Georgetown University Medical School where she also completed graduate school and residency training in internal medicine. She came to NCI for medical oncology training in the Medical Oncology Branch. Dr. Annunziata joined the laboratory of Dr. Louis Staudt in the Metabolism Branch to investigate NF-kappaB signaling in multiple myeloma. She returned to the Medical Oncology Branch to extend her study of these molecular pathways in the ovarian cancer model, and she maintains her clinical focus in the translational clinical studies of ovarian cancer.
Dr. Annunziata holds board certifications for the practices of internal medicine and medical oncology. Dr. Annunziata is a participating member in the Gynecologic Oncology Group, the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Society for Clinical Oncology, and the Breast and Gynecologic Malignancies and the Molecular Targets Faculties of CCR. She serves as course director for the Medical Ovarian Cancer Lecture Series in the Medical Oncology Branch, and has recently been appointed co-editor-in-chief of the international journal, Ovarian Diseases.
Nurses
Nicole Houston, R.N., B.S.N.
Research Nurse
Medical Oncology Branch and Affiliates, CCR, NCI
Ms. Houston received her bachelor of science degree in nursing from William Carey College in New Orleans, Louisiana. She came to NCI after working at a private Phase I oncology research practice in San Antonio, Texas. She also worked in oncology in New Orleans.
Attending Physician Volunteers
Herbert L. Kotz, M.D.
Adjunct Staff Clinician
Medical Oncology Branch and Affiliates, CCR, NCI
Sheila A. Prindeville, M.D.
Director of the Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials at NCI
Adjunct Staff Clinician
Medical Oncology Branch and Affiliates, CCR, NCI
Gisele Sarosy, M.D.
Special Volunteer
Medical Oncology Branch and Affiliates, CCR, NCI
JoAnne Zujewski, M.D.
Head - Breast Cancer Therapeutics, in the Clinical Investigation Branch of the
Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program at NCI
Adjunct Staff Clinician
Medical Oncology Branch and Affiliates, CCR, NCI
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