The Lynne Cohen Foundation in the News

The Lynne Cohen Foundation For Ovarian Cancer Research

LYNNE COHEN FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR TWO NEW APPROACHES TO BEATING OVARIAN CANCER UNDERWAY AT USC/NORRIS CANCER CENTER

LOS ANGELES, February 7, 2000 - The Lynne Cohen Foundation for Ovarian Cancer Research announced today it will fund a novel treatment for ovarian cancer drug delivered via a nose drop. The grant supports an ongoing trial of the drug IM862, an anti-angiogenic compound that has shown promise in the treatment of Kaposis sarcoma. The trial is led by Parkash Gill, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Pathology at the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

In an attempt to fight cancer in a different way, anti-angiogenic compounds are being developed to block the growth of the blood vessels, which support tumors. All tumors contain large numbers of monocytes, a type of white blood cells, which produce proteins that enhance angiogenesis. IM862 is a naturally occurring peptide, which reduces the production of such proteins. If a tumor cannot establish its own blood supply, it will lie dormant. In Phase II Clinical trials for Kaposis sarcoma, 30 out of 44 patients taking the IM862 nose drops either had their tumors completely or partially disappear or the disease did not progress for six months or longer. "All this occurred with no toxic side effects," says Dr. Gill. The ovarian cancer trial that the Lynne Cohen Foundation is supporting offers an alternative to women who have not gone into remission after standard therapies presently available.

The Foundation has also provided seed funding to USC/Norris scientist Louis Dubeau, M.D., Ph.D., for a test called the TRAP (Telomeric Repeat Amplification Protocol) assay. The pilot project funded by the Lynne Cohen Foundation, which showed that the TRAP assay detects minimal residual disease in ovarian cancer patients was very promising. Based on these encouraging results, the National Institutes of Health has funded a large multi-institutional study, which will prove the merit of the approach and have an important impact on the management of patients with ovarian cancer. Currently, doctors in some institutions use second-look surgery to catch rogue cancer cells after six months to a year of chemotherapy treatment. However, nearly half of the patients who show no sign of disease with the second-look@ go on to develop subsequent tumors. That is why Dr. Dubeau decided to apply the TRAP assay to the second-look. It is, in fact, 25% more sensitive than the currently used examination of cells and can detect as few as 10 to 50 rogue cancer cells in a sample. The ongoing multi-institutional trial headed by Dr. Dubeau is testing the hypothesis that this assay can help identify patients more likely to have disease recurrences who would therefore be in need of further therapy. "Our hope is that the superiority of the TRAP assay will encourage more institutions to use the second-look surgery and consequently save more lives," says Amy Cohen, President of The Lynne Cohen Foundation.

Founded in 1998, the Los Angeles-based Lynne Cohen Foundation is dedicated to providing seed money for startup research in ovarian cancer. It was created by the three daughters (in their 20's) of Lynne Cohen who had recently passed away (at age 53) after a difficult but courageous five?year struggle with the disease. The sisters' mission is to keep their mom's memory alive while helping other women from having to endure the same pain and hardship as she did. Last October, the Foundation provided the startup funds for a much-needed ovarian cancer early detection test ("LPA") being developed at the Cleveland symposium. By providing the seed money for exciting and innovative ideas, the Lynne Cohen Foundation acts as a springboard to help doctors conduct ovarian cancer research which would otherwise be prohibitive.

Ovarian cancer is considered the most deadly gynecological cancer, killing approximately 14,000 women each year. By funding the IM862 anti-angiogenesis trial and the TRAP assay project at the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Lynne Cohen Foundation elucidates its extraordinary commitment to support research that will improve the quality of life and increase the survival of women with ovarian cancer.

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