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The NSW Regional Cancer Research Network, in collaboration with the Maridulu Budyari Gumal (SPHERE) Cancer CAG and Sydney Cancer Partners host the 2024 NSW Cancer Research Education State-wide Seminar Series. These online seminars are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.
Session Information
Liquid biopsies of blood, urine, or other body fluid such as ascites are gaining interest in cancer diagnostics and treatment. Liquid biopsies are used to identify presence of cancer cells or small fragmented pieces of DNA, RNA, or other molecules released by cancer cells into body fluids. Liquid biopsies may be used to detect cancer at an early stage and hold great promise for population screening for early cancer detection.
Liquid biopsy allows multiple samples to be taken over time, which may help to understand genetic or molecular changes as they are taking place to improve treatment approaches and outcomes for patients. It may also be used to determine how well treatment is working and to detect recurrence earlier.
In this session Professor Helen Rizos will discuss liquid biopsies in melanoma – how they can monitor response, predict patient outcomes and current limitations in the application of liquid biopsies and Dr Kristina Warton will present on using liquid biopsies for early detection of gynaecological cancers.
Speakers
Professor Helen Rizos leads the Precision Cancer Therapy research team and is Principle Investigator of the Macquarie University Cancer Biobank in the Macquarie School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences at Macquarie University. She is a Faculty member of the Melanoma Institute Australia, where she co-leads the Advanced Melanoma research theme.
She joined Macquarie University in 2013, and was Head, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences from 2014-2021.
Dr Kristina Warton completed her PhD at the University of New South Wales, before working for a number of years in biotech and then returning to academia. She is currently leading a project within the Gynaecological Cancer Research Group to develop a blood test for the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
Session Chair
After international fellowships in Canada and Sweden, Professor Caroline Ford established the Gynaecological Cancer Research Group at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia in 2010. She collaborates closely with clinicians and people with gynaecological cancers and leads major projects on the early detection of ovarian cancer and molecular targets in ovarian, endometrial cancer and endometriosis. Her translational cancer research lab has expertise in ctDNA and advanced pre-clinical models of disease. Prof Ford is also the Research Chair and Board Director of Cure Cancer Australia and Chair of the Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG) Uterine Tumour Working Group; the first translational scientist and non-clinician to act in this role. Prof Ford’s advocacy for gynaecological cancers has increased in recent years through an effective partnership with the Australian fashion brand, Camilla and Marc. Since 2020, the “Ovaries. Talk About Them” campaign has fundraised over $1.7million (AUD), reached over 550 million people globally and increased awareness of ovarian cancer.
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