2022 was another year full of successes in the gynecologic cancer space. The Gynecologic Cancer Initiative is proud to support our members’ research as they strive to transform gynecologic cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and treatment. We are also happy to have held a number of events to support our wonderful GCI trainees as they work towards becoming the new future of gynecologic researchers and clinicians. Last, but not least, we are immensely grateful for our patient partners who have continued to work with us to develop well-informed resources for other gynecologic cancer patients.
With 2022 coming to a close, the GCI would like to highlight key events and happenings that took place over the course of this eventful year:
Winter of 2022: January & February
We kicked off January of the new year with a very special episode of the GOSH Podcast; Season 2 Episode 7: A Chinese Perspective – Hereditary Cancers, Genetic Testing and Language Accessibility was the first ever GOSH podcast episode to be recorded in an entirely different language. We were grateful to have been joined by Rose Lee, a Chinese patient who was diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer in her life. In this podcast episode, Rose discusses how her diagnosis and hereditary cancer screening impacted her life and that of her friends and family members.
We are also proud to share that Rose’s episode had the highest number of downloads among Season 1 and 2 of the GOSH podcast combined. For those of you who are not fluent in Cantonese but are still interested in learning about Rose’s story, you can check out her Beyond the Stories video here.
On February 9th, the GCI launched the second video in our Beyond the Stories Video Series: Opportunistic Salpingectomy as a Strategy for Ovarian Cancer Prevention. In this video, Justine Greene shares her story about why she chose to undergo an opportunistic salpingectomy– a procedure in which the fallopian tubes are removed in patients who are already undergoing pelvic surgery.
The discovery of opportunistic salpingectomies for ovarian cancer prevention was developed by Dr. Gillian Hanley and her team. In February, the team published a new study that showed that removing a person’s fallopian tube is a safe, effective way to reduce their risk for ovarian cancer. Dr. Hanley also provides insight on opportunistic salpingectomies in this Beyond the Stories video.
Spring of 2022: March, April, and May
For International Women’s Day on March 8th, we published a blog article highlighting the incredible work being done in women’s health research by some GCI members including Dr. Lori Brotto, Dr. Michelle Woo, Dr. Elizabeth McClymont, and PhD student Alex Lukey.
In April we launched the third-ever GCI-CTG Accelerated Grants Program. Recipients are to be announced soon, so stay tuned!
Summer of 2022: June, July, and August
In June we held our annual GCI Trainee Research Day, a two-day hybrid event celebrating the incredible work of gynecologic cancer trainees in BC. With over 30 trainee presenters, 2 inspiring keynotes, and engaging panels, attendees were introduced to up-and-coming research regarding the prevention, detection, treatment, and survivorship of gynecologic cancers. Several awards were awarded in recognition of outstanding trainees’ publications and presentations. Award recipients and an overview of the event can be found in our Trainee Research Day recap article.
The GCI published a new article based on our 2021 Gynecologic Cancer Prevention Summit in July. This article, titled “Gynecologic Cancer Risk and Genetics: Informing an Ideal Model of Gynecologic Cancer Prevention,” summarizes current approaches to gynecologic cancer prevention. It also explores the potential for greater hereditary cancer prevention through population-based genetic testing in Canada.
We were also ecstatic for the three GCI researchers who were announced as recipients of the CIHR Spring Grant– Dr. Deborah Money, Dr. Paul Yong, and Dr. Aline Talhouk. This was very exciting news as additional funding was provided to these researchers’ much anticipated gynecologic projects.
Aside from these exciting happenings, GCI researchers and staff continued to enjoy their summer through the month of August.
Fall of 2022: September, October, and November
The GCI is a proud supporter of the gynecologic cancer research being conducted here in BC. With September being Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, we wanted to do more in terms of raising awareness on the prevention and survivorship of gynecologic cancers to emphasize the importance of the gynecologic research and care that we advocate for. Throughout the month, we published some informative blog articles written and inspired by some of our GCI patient partners. For more on the projects we put out during GCAM 2022, you can visit our recap article.
Later in the month of September, we also launched Season 3 of the GOSH Podcast with some exciting news: BC Cancer collaborated with the Gynecologic Cancer Initiative to create Gynecologic Cancers: Your Journey, a patient resource designed with gyne cancer patient’s needs and experiences in mind. In this podcast episode, co-hosts Stephanie Lam and Nicole Keay were joined by GCI patient partners Nancy Cleveland and Siv Klausen. Together they discussed the process that went into the making of this wonderful patient journey map and how patient partners were engaged throughout.
During the month of October, the GOSH Podcast shared a two-podcast series on Helen Epstein’s experience with Endometrial Cancer during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Season 3, Episode 2, followed by an episode with her husband, Patrick Mehr, in Episode 3. Not only did this series highlight the extra difficulties of receiving care during the pandemic, but it was also the first time we were able to hear from the family member of a cancer survivor and learn about what it was like to be present during their loved one’s cancer journey.
Late October also marked the start of the 2022/23 series of GCI Research Rounds. Our Research Rounds are designed to provide a forum for gynecologic cancer researchers and clinicians to share and discuss their work with other professionals. Check out the schedule for upcoming presentations here. More to be added for 2023 soon!
Additionally, Dr. Ali Bashashati and his team have been making strides in using AI technology as a supplementary tool for clinical pathologists in diagnosing ovarian cancer. The impact and overview of their work were proudly featured in a spotlight story written by the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.
In November, we launched our second Beyond the Stories video of the year– A Conversation with a Vulvar Cancer Patient. Carly Allen, a two-time vulvar cancer survivor and ostomy advocate shares her cancer story in a conversation with VGH anatomical pathologist Dr. Lynn Hoang. From having to self-advocate for a diagnosis, sharing her diagnosis with loved ones, and living with an ostomy bag, Carly isn’t afraid to get candid about the reality of gynecologic cancers.
We were also proud to share that two GCI researchers, Dr. Jessica McAlpine and Dr. Paul Yong were announced as new Canada Chair Recipients. Dr. Jessica McAlpine now holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Molecular Stratification of Gynecologic Cancers and Dr. Paul Yong holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Endometriosis & Pelvic Pain.
Towards the end of November, we received more exciting news on the GCI’s Endometrial Cancer Research Team receiving the Terry Fox New Frontiers Grant for their promising work on precision oncology for endometrial cancer. Led by Dr. Jessica McAlpine, the team aims to integrate molecular stratification and AI technology to enhance clinical approaches to diagnosing and treating endometrial cancers.
Getting Ready for More Exciting Happenings in 2023!
We have many more exciting things planned for 2023, including the official launch of the GCI Knowledge Translation Blog on January 3rd! Written and edited by GCI trainees and patient partners, the GCI Knowledge Translation Blog is intended to improve the accessibility of gynecologic cancer knowledge for greater prevention and awareness. Make sure you stay tuned for this exciting project as well as the final episode of our Beyond the Stories video series!
We are very grateful for all the love and support the GCI has received this year. The GCI team is continuously working to put out more resources to connect you with the latest happenings in the gynecologic cancer space in BC. From our team to yours, we hope you have a wonderful holiday and a happy new year. See you in 2023!