Aspirin and NSAID Use and Ovarian Cancer Prognosis: A Molecular Epidemiological Study
Abstract
Rationale and Hypothesis: Ovarian cancer one of the most fatal cancers affecting women, largely due to the non-specific symptoms of the disease and the current lack of screening tests to detect ovarian cancer at an early stage. Since women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer are faced with a poor prognostic outlook, there is a crucial need to identify lifestyle factors that could be changed following an ovarian cancer diagnosis based on a doctor’s recommendation. Studies have shown that ovarian cancer patients who are exposed to continuous high levels of inflammation as a direct result of their cancer are more likely to experience a worse outcome from their disease. My hypothesis is that, in order to counteract the negative effects of cancer-related continuous inflammation, the simple use of over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications (such as aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, of which Ibuprofen/Advil is the most common) may improve the prognosis for ovarian cancer patients. Indeed, my hypothesis that aspirin and NSAID use after diagnosis improves the survival of ovarian cancer patients was supported in my recent study. My research will therefore address open questions that require answers in order to determine how to best incorporate the use of aspirin and NSAIDs into the treatment paradigms for ovarian cancer. Career Goals: My career goals are (1) to develop better strategies to prevent ovarian cancer and (2) to improve the health of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer by studying modifiable lifestyle factors that, if changed, could improve their prognosis. My research and career development plan will allow me to achieve these goals by providing opportunities to develop important skills that are needed to carry out my research and to establish my career in ovarian cancer research by taking courses and consulting with my mentors, who are experts in diverse research areas and interacting with the ovarian cancer research community at a local level (meeting with gynecologic oncologists, researchers at my institution), at national meetings, and through the Ovarian Cancer Academy (OCA). My Contribution to the Growth of the OCA: My unique contribution to the OCA originates from my multidisciplinary research training, where I have developed expertise in several areas, including data analysis/statistics and molecular biology; this helps me to skillfully communicate with scientists from multiple fields. Also, as an epidemiologist, I always consider issues of how lifestyle factors may impact ovarian cancer development and progression; thus, I believe that this type of “big picture” approach can be very useful when developing multidisciplinary studies to address critical scientific questions in ovarian cancer research. Problems to Be Addressed and How It Will Advance the Field: I propose to: (1) identify optimal patterns of aspirin/NSAID use to maximize the prognostic impact and (2) define the types of patients who are most likely to have prognostic benefit from aspirin/NSAID use based on their personal characteristics (such as their weight) and by analyzing a patient’s ovarian tumor tissues to see whether inflammatory features predict those patients who are likely to respond favorably to aspirin/NSAID use. Clinical Applications, Benefits and Risks: Aspirin and NSAID use has few side effects and is affordable and easy to purchase; thus, it has potential to be used effectively in an ovarian cancer treatment setting. My study will focus on identifying the ideal patterns of aspirin/NSAID use (for example, how many pills/day or days/week should aspirin/NSAIDs be used) and the characteristics of ovarian cancer patients who will derive the most benefit from aspirin/NSAID use to improve their ovarian cancer prognosis. This research will therefore assist doctors to decide when to recommend aspirin/NSAID use to their ovarian cancer patients. The goal of this study is to inform the
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 05, 2021
- Source ID
- W81XWH2110914
Entities
People
- Melissa Merritt
Organizations
- United States Army
- University of Hawaiʻi System