Expanding the landscape of biomarkers for predicting response to targeted therapies in ovarian cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), the deadliest of all gynecological malignancies, is a complex disease whose high heterogeneity is held responsible for driving tumor progression and therapeutic failure. Current tests to predict patient responsiveness to treatments are often restricted to immunochemistry only or single/targeted-gene panels and fail to capture all the alterations relevant for clinical decision-making and the mechanisms contributing to treatment resistance. There is thus an unmet need for the development of comprehensive biomarkers and approaches that capture the complexity of EOC. 

As a step in this direction, we aim to contribute cases to the MOHCCN Gold Cohort and help expand the landscape of predictive biomarkers in EOC. For this initiative, we will take advantage of a long-established ovarian tissue banking infrastructure, the RRCancer-Biobanque des tumeurs gynécologiques of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval, to prospectively collect EOC tissues and blood specimens. Genomic profiling of DNA and RNA purified from optimal cutting temperature (OCT)-embedded EOC tumor sections and matched normal DNA (as a reference for germline variation) extracted from the buffy coat will be performed and resulting data will be paired with immunohistochemical profiles and detailed clinical information for each patient. 

Ultimately, integration of the information gained from this initiative will help develop strategies to predict which patients are more likely to benefit from a specific targeted therapy, which could lead to improved treatment strategies and outcomes for patients with ovarian cancer.