Ovarian cancer research
Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cancer in UK women, after breast, bowel and lung cancer. Each year there are nearly 7,000 new cases of ovarian cancer in the UK and the disease claim around 4000 lives.
Cancer Research UK is the biggest supporter of ovarian cancer research in the UK. We fund research on all aspects of the disease, from investigating its molecular causes through to developing better ways to detect and treat it.
We also provide a range of information materials aimed at people affected by cancer. There is an extensive section on ovarian cancer on our CancerHelp UK website.
Below are some highlights of our ovarian cancer research portfolio.
Or find out more on our ovarian cancer briefsheet (PDF download, 100kb)
- Angiogenesis/vasculature
- Biomarkers
- Clinical trials
- Drug discovery & development
- Drug resistance
- Screening
Angiogenesis/vasculature
Prof Gordon Jayson
Translational Angiogenesis Laboratory
Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Manchester
New cancer treatments that block blood vessel growth
Gordon Jayson is Professor of Medical Oncology at the Christie Hospital in Manchester. His research focuses on new cancer treatments that block blood vessel growth and starve tumour cells of essential nutrients and oxygen. He is particularly interested in the use of these treatments for people with ovarian cancer.
Prof Jonathan Ledermann
Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre
University College London, London
Improving treatments for ovarian cancer
Professor Jonathan Ledermann is leading an international clinical trial of a new treatment for women with ovarian cancer. This disease often becomes resistant to chemotherapy, making it difficult to treat. The new drug could help to block blood vessel growth in the tumour, starving the cancer cells.
Biomarkers
Dr James Brenton
Functional Genomics of Ovarian Cancer
Cambridge Research Institute, Cambridge
Finding new ways to overcome drug resistance in ovarian cancer
Dr James Brenton is based at our Cambridge Research Institute. He is studying why cancer treatments work for some people and not others even though they have the same disease. His research particularly focuses on ovarian cancer and understanding why some women respond well to existing chemotherapy drugs while others have tumours that are 'resistant' to treatment.
Prof Robert Brown
Epigenetics Team
Imperial College London and The Institute of Cancer Research, London
'Epigenetics' and the problem of drug resistance
Professor Robert Brown is currently investigating how some cancers, in particular ovarian cancers, become resistant to chemotherapy. Through this work, he is developing important new ways to overcome this huge problem of drug resistance. Professor Brown leads two research teams based at Imperial College London and The Institute of Cancer Research.
Prof Hani Gabra
Section of Medicine, Department of Oncology
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
Understanding drug resistance in ovarian cancer
Professor Hani Gabra is head of the Section of Molecular Therapeutics at Imperial College, London. His research focuses on ovarian cancer. He is currently investigating the genes and proteins that cause resistance to chemotherapy drugs such as carboplatin.
Clinical trials
Prof Frances Balkwill
Institute of Cancer
Barts & The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, London
Developing new treatments for ovarian cancer
Professor Frances Balkwill leads the Centre for Cancer and Inflammation at Barts & The London School of Medicine & Dentistry. She is investigating the links between cancer and inflammation, with a particular focus on ovarian cancer. Professor Balkwill aims to use the results from her lab studies to develop new anti-cancer treatments, and her team is involved in several early-phase clinical trials.
Prof Jonathan Ledermann
Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre
University College London, London
Improving treatments for ovarian cancer
Professor Jonathan Ledermann is leading an international clinical trial of a new treatment for women with ovarian cancer. This disease often becomes resistant to chemotherapy, making it difficult to treat. The new drug could help to block blood vessel growth in the tumour, starving the cancer cells.
Drug discovery & development
Prof Gordon Jayson
Translational Angiogenesis Laboratory
Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Manchester
New cancer treatments that block blood vessel growth
Gordon Jayson is Professor of Medical Oncology at the Christie Hospital in Manchester. His research focuses on new cancer treatments that block blood vessel growth and starve tumour cells of essential nutrients and oxygen. He is particularly interested in the use of these treatments for people with ovarian cancer.
Prof Stan Kaye
Section of Medicine
The Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton
Developing new cancer treatments
Professor Stan Kaye is Chairman of the Section of Medicine at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR). He also leads the Drug Development Unit at the Royal Marsden Hospital. These two roles allow Professor Kaye to take new drugs discovered in the lab and test them in clinical trials in patients. In particular, his research focuses on ovarian cancer.
Drug resistance
Dr James Brenton
Functional Genomics of Ovarian Cancer
Cambridge Research Institute, Cambridge
Finding new ways to overcome drug resistance in ovarian cancer
Dr James Brenton is based at our Cambridge Research Institute. He is studying why cancer treatments work for some people and not others even though they have the same disease. His research particularly focuses on ovarian cancer and understanding why some women respond well to existing chemotherapy drugs while others have tumours that are 'resistant' to treatment.
Prof Robert Brown
Epigenetics Team
Imperial College London and The Institute of Cancer Research, London
'Epigenetics' and the problem of drug resistance
Professor Robert Brown is currently investigating how some cancers, in particular ovarian cancers, become resistant to chemotherapy. Through this work, he is developing important new ways to overcome this huge problem of drug resistance. Professor Brown leads two research teams based at Imperial College London and The Institute of Cancer Research.
Prof Hani Gabra
Section of Medicine, Department of Oncology
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
Understanding drug resistance in ovarian cancer
Professor Hani Gabra is head of the Section of Molecular Therapeutics at Imperial College, London. His research focuses on ovarian cancer. He is currently investigating the genes and proteins that cause resistance to chemotherapy drugs such as carboplatin.
Prof Stan Kaye
Section of Medicine
The Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton
Developing new cancer treatments
Professor Stan Kaye is Chairman of the Section of Medicine at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR). He also leads the Drug Development Unit at the Royal Marsden Hospital. These two roles allow Professor Kaye to take new drugs discovered in the lab and test them in clinical trials in patients. In particular, his research focuses on ovarian cancer.
Screening
Prof Ian Jacobs
Department of Gynaecological Oncology
University College London, London
Screening for ovarian cancer
Professor Ian Jacobs and his team are testing ovarian cancer screening techniques to see which are most effective.
Prof Peter Sasieni
Biostatistics and Cancer Epidemiology Group
Wolfson Institute, Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, London
Improving cancer screening
Professor Peter Sasieni is a respected researcher in the field of cancer screening. Based at the Wolfson Institute in London, he is helping to ensure that existing NHS cervical screening programme runs as efficiently as possible. He is also working to improve bowel screening for people at high risk of the disease. And he is director of a new clinical trials unit specialising in cancer screening and prevention.
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