Division of Gynaecologic Oncology
Barry Rosen, Divison Head

Annual Report 2010-2011

Introduction

Gynaecologic Oncology continues to work primarily at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the University Health Network/Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH). At PMH, Dr. Stephane Laframboise continues in her role as gynaecology site group leader. The group continues to develop synoptic reporting for ovarian cancer OR reports and all colposcopy reporting, creating a rich database and reducing the need for dictation services. Over 12,000 synoptic reports have been entered into the colposcopy database.

Dr. Jason Dodge was awarded the Master Teacher Award for Undergraduate Education in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Dr. Marcus Bernardini initiated a serum banking program, where all patients with, or who are at risk of, cancer will have serum banked. For ovarian cancer patients serum will be banked at multiple points during their care and this will provide opportunities to evaluate serum markers during the course of their illness. We expect to enroll 100 patients per year.

The robotic program at UHN continues to flourish and we have submitted a paper for publication and are embarking on a prospective study comparing quality of life, hospital stay, and costs in robotic surgery compared to laparoscopic and open surgical cases. This study is funded from AHSC research funding.

Dr. Rosen continues to travel to Kenya in support of the Gynaecologic Oncology Pogram in this setting. In addition, the UHN group is supportive of the collaboration between Princess Margaret Hospital and the Kuwait Cancer Control Centre. This collaboration includes multidisciplinary medical personnel exchanges with the purpose of helping the Kuwait Cancer Control Centre improve its cancer programs.

Dr. Allan Covens is the gynaecologic oncology site group lead at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Dr. Lilian Gien from Sunnybrook received the very prestigious Young Investigators Award from the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG), which is part of NCI USA. This award, the first given to a Canadian, is for “Examining the Paradigm for Treating Systemic Therapies in Recurrent and Advanced Cervical Cancer”.

Dr. Allan Covens has been appointed Co-Chair of the Cervical Cancer Task Force for NCI USA and he continues in his significant leadership role in GOG as part of the Protocol Development Committee, Operations Committee and Ovary Committee.

Two fellows graduated from our program this year, Dr. Jacob McGee, who has taken a position in London, Ontario and Dr. Danielle Vicus, who has enrolled in a Masters program in clinical epidemiology and will take a future position at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

For more information, visit the Gynaecologic Oncology Fellowship Program.

Excerpt from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 2010-11 Annual Report.  See all reports under Publications.