Gynaecological Cancers Group

Group Leader  

Associate Professor Penny Webb

Summary

This laboratory investigates all aspects of gynaecological cancer from aetiology to diagnosis, patterns of care, quality of life and survival. A particular focus is on the role of environmental (non-genetic) factors and the interaction between genetic and environmental factors in the causation and prognosis of gynaecological cancer.

Much of this work is conducted within two national population-based case control studies: the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study (AOCS) and the Australian National Endometrial Cancer Study (ANECS).

Conditions researched

• Endometrial cancer
• Ovarian cancer

Current research

• Improving Outcomes for Women with Endometrial Cancer: Follow-up, Survival and Quality of Life
• Patterns of Care Study for Ovarian Cancer
• Molecular epidemiology of endometrial cancer: the Australian National Endometrial Cancer Study
• Molecular epidemiology of ovarian cancer: The Australian Ovarian Cancer Study (AOCS)
• Comparison of quality of life and standard end-points of chemotherapy in advanced ovarian cancer
• Quality of life and psychosocial predictors of outcome in a population based study of ovarian cancer

Staff

Group Leader: Associate Professor Penny Webb

Senior staff: Chris Bain, Christina Nagle, Susan Jordan, Vanessa Beesley,

Project staff: Diane Maresco-Pennisi, Fran Millar, Jayne Griffith, Karen Martin, Kiri Ibiebele, Neha Pandeya, Sue Brown, Therese Lawton

Interstate staff: Ellen Minehan, Deborah Roffe, Helen Steane, Jo White, Melanie Mosey

Students: Annette Neill, Kanchana Bala, Melinda Protani,

Visiting scientist: Mairie McLaren

Funding

We acknowledge the support of the following funding agencies:

• National Health and Medical Research Council
• Cancer Australia
• National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre
• The Cancer Council Queensland

Collaborators

Overseas

OCAC: The Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium, Worldwide participants

E2C2: The Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium, Worldwide participants

Australian

Australian and New Zealand Gynaecologic Oncology Group

National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre

Professor David Bowtell, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne

Professor Andreas Obermair, Dr Jim Nicklin, Dr Lew Perrin, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital

Drs Chris Bain, Susan Jordan and Professor Phil Weinstein, The University of Queensland, School of Population Health

Professor Phyllis Butow and Dr Melanie Price, University of Sydney, School of Psychology

Dr Anna de Fazio, Westmead Millenium Institute, Sydney