Announcing the 2026 Gynecologic Cancer Research Award Recipients

Smritee Dabee (Research Associate): Sumiko Kobayashi Marks Memorial Research Grants

Tracking HPV Dynamics Before and After the Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure: Prevalence, Type Distribution, and Implications for Recurrence

• Designated Supervisor/Principal Applicant: Dr. Gina Ogilvie
• Co-Applicants: Dr. Lily Proctor, Dr. Andrea Neilson, Ms. Laurie Smith

Lay summary: 
Cervical cancer remains a significant health concern in Canada (and worldwide), with most cases caused by persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types. The Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP), an effective, outpatient procedure, is crucial to remove precancerous tissue or early-stage cervical cancer. However, limited information is available on recurrence/HPV re-detection rates and the presence of HPV types post-LEEP. In British Columbia (BC), patients with histologically proven pre-cancer at colposcopy are referred for LEEP and have two post-treatment follow-ups: at 6 and 12/18 months, depending on HPV testing results. HPV DNA testing is carried out at these visits to test for the oncogenic HPV 16/18 or other high-risk types. With BC pivoting to HPV testing for cervical cancer screening, rather than cytology, BC’s cervical screening (BCCS) program has been building a unique, rich dataset that could be leveraged to better understand the landscape of post-LEEP HPV/pre-cancer redetection, including high-risk populations.   We propose a data linkage study, using cervical cancer screening records from BCCS, where HPV status (and HPV types) preLEEP will be linked to matched HPV results at LEEP, and at 6 and 12/18 months postLEEP. Findings from this study will provide crucial information to establish populationlevel HPV recurrence/persistence rates in BC and will contribute to advancing screening and treatment algorithms as BC fully transitions to HPV testing. Further, this will be a key first step towards larger studies that will establish the large-scale impact of LEEP on HPV dynamics in BC, as well as more ambitious integrative biomedical-translational studies

Katherine Grey (Medical Resident PGY-3): Carraresi Foundation Research Grants

Identifying differences in clinical phenotype, immune landscape and/or other targetable features in advanced stage and recurrent POLE-mutated endometrial carcinoma to direct patient management

• Designated Supervisor/Principal Applicant: Dr. Jessica McAlpine
• Co-Applicants: Dr. Amy Jamieson, Dr. Spencer Martin

Lay summary: 
Most POLE-mutated endometrial cancers have many DNA changes that make them highly visible to the immune system, and most patients with this cancer subtype do very well. However, a small group of patients present with POLE-mutated endometrial cancer that has already spread or later develop recurrent disease, and the reasons for this aggressive behaviour are not well understood. Early observations from our group suggest that some aggressive POLE-mutated cancers may occur in patients with weakened immune systems or may have fewer immune cells in and around the tumour than expected. In this study, we will compare clinical features, immune markers, and treatment-relevant tumour markers in patients with advanced-stage or recurrent POLEmutated endometrial cancer and patients with early-stage disease. We will also assess whether these tumours express targets for antibody-drug conjugates, which may be important if some aggressive tumours are less responsive to immune-based therapy. This work will help identify which patients may be at risk for unexpectedly aggressive POLEmutated endometrial cancer and will generate preliminary data to guide future studies and treatment decisions.

Patsy Lee (Medical Oncology Research Fellow): Carraresi Foundation Research Grants

TRACKER study: Tracking Response After immune ChecKpoint inhibitors in cERvical cancers

• Designated Supervisor/Principal Applicant: Dr. Yvette
• Co-investigators: Dr. Mairi Lucas, Dr. Lien Hoang
• Collaborators: Dr. Andy Roth, Dr. Jessica McAlpine

Lay summary:  
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer affecting women globally. For those diagnosed with locally advanced stage 3 or 4 disease, surgery is not an option, and the standard of care is a combination of chemotherapy and radiation (CRT). A recent clinical trial investigated the addition of a type of immunotherapy treatment called pembrolizumab to chemoradiation (P-CRT). The pembrolizumab was given for approximately two years and was shown to reduce the chance of cancer returning compared to using CRT alone. Pembrolizumab can be associated with severe side effects. Approximately 20% of patients experience side effects requiring hospitalization and > 20% may develop long term side effects. 

Currently, we do not know which patients need Pembrolizumab and whether we can spare some patients from the treatment and risk of side effects. Exactly how long pembrolizumab should be given and whether shorter treatment periods will be sufficient to control the cancer is also unknown. 

The aims of this project are to explore factors that might identify which patients benefit most from P-CRT and whether treatment with pembrolizumab can be stopped earlier for selected patients. We plan to collect, following consent, cancer samples from biopsies taken at time of diagnosis, blood samples and information about treatment response from patients receiving treatment with P-CRT. Blood samples will measure DNA shed from the cancer into the bloodstream, so we can detect how levels change in response to the treatment. This work will help us build knowledge to support a larger future grant application. 

Lanlan Yang (Postdoctoral Fellow): Carraresi Foundation Research Grants

Modeling the development of adult-type granulosa cell tumors using human immortalized pluripotent stem cells

• Designated Supervisor/Principal Applicant: Dr. Yemin Wang
• Co-applicant: Dr. David Huntsman

Lay summary:
Adult-type granulosa cell tumor (AGCT) is the most common type of cancer originating from granulosa cells, the oocyte-supporting cells inside the ovary. Similar to normal granulosa cells within ovarian preovulatory follicles, these tumors produce steroid hormones. Over 95% of AGCTs carry the same specific change to the DNA sequence of a gene named FOXL2, resulting in the production of an altered FOXL2 protein that differs from its original product by only one amino acid at a specific site. The nearly ubiquitous presence of this altered FOXL2 protein in AGCT suggests it as a major driver of their development. However, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood, in part due to the challenge in obtaining preovulatory granulosa cells for research. In this study, based on our recent success in culturing prevulatory granulosa cells from human induced stem cells, we will study how tumor-specific FOXL2 alteration influences the biology of preovulatory granulosa cells with state-of-the-art technologies. This work will provide a faithful system to improve our understanding of AGCT pathogenesis and inform the development of new therapeutic strategies. Ultimately, this ground-zero work will ultimately improve survival and health outcomes of AGCT patients. 

Yida Jiang (Computational Biologist): Carraresi Foundation Research Grants

Resolving ancestry-associated disparities in p53abn endometrial cancer through refined genetic classification

• Designated Supervisor/Principal Applicant: Dr. Jessica
• Co-applicants: Dr. Dawn Cochrane, Dr, David Huntsman, Amy Jamieson

Lay summary:
Endometrial cancer (EC), the most common gynecologic cancer in Canada, affecting a diverse group of people, however the vast majority of studies have focused on people of White ancestry. Studies from the United States using self-reported ethnicity have reported higher proportions of aggressive EC and poorer outcomes among Black patients, as well as increased mortality among Black and Asian patients. To date, no studies have compared genetic ancestry with self-reported ethnicity in the population of EC patients in British Columbia.  

Allen Zhang (Gynecologic Pathology Fellow): Division of Gynecologic Oncology Research Award

Developing models for targeted treatment of low grade serous ovarian cancer

• Designated Supervisor/Principal Applicant: Dr. David Huntsman
• Co-applicants: Dr. Dawn Cochrane, Dr. Tasnim Olatoke

Lay summary: 
Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death due to gynecologic cancer in North America. Low-grade serous ovarian cancer is a subtype of ovarian cancer that predominantly affects younger women in their 40s to 60s. While they grow more slowly than their highgrade counterparts, low-grade serous tumors can be notoriously difficult to treat. They tend to spread throughout the abdomen and are difficult to entirely remove with surgery. Other treatment options, including chemotherapy, are largely ineffective. Many women with low-grade serous cancer experience disease that is likely to come back with little chance of cure. 

In our previous studies, we have examined the differences between non-invasive serous borderline and invasive low grade serous tumors. Our studies have helped elucidate the biology that underpins the switch to an invasive tumor. But more importantly, we have identified several proteins that could be targeted using novel therapeutics. In this current grant, we aim to characterize the expression of these proteins on a larger cohort and study how they affect patient survival. We will also work to develop a mouse model of low grade serous ovarian cancer in which targeted therapeutics can be studied.  

Ila Nimgaonkar (Medical Oncology Fellow): Division of Gynecologic Oncology Research Award

Clinical Relevance of Alcohol-Related Flushing as a Predictor of Paclitaxel Infusion-Related Toxicity

• Designated Supervisor/Principal Applicant: Dr. Anna Tinker
• Co-investigators: Dr. Winnie Cheng, Dr. Heather Kilgour, Dr. Victoria Fowler, Dr. Raymond Mak

Lay summary:
Paclitaxel chemotherapy, which is typically used as first-line treatment for advanced endometrial and ovarian cancers, can cause infusion-related reactions and accounts for 40% of all infusion reactions at BC Cancer–Vancouver. Symptoms can include flushing, fast heart rate, dizziness, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Reactions are most likely to occur on the first or second cycle of treatment. Paclitaxel contains alcohol, which may contribute to these symptoms. Some people, especially those of East Asian background, experience flushing or other symptoms after drinking small amounts of alcohol due to how their bodies process it. This study will examine whether people with a history of alcohol-related flushing, determined by a short questionnaire, are more likely to have reactions during their first two cycles of paclitaxel treatment. Participants who experience an infusion reaction will undergo a blood draw to differentiate between anaphylaxis-type versus other reactions. We will also offer a subset of patients genetic testing for variants associated with alcohol flushing. The results may help identify patients at higher risk and improve paclitaxel safety.