Analysis of cancer gene chip for the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death for women. By the time most women know they have it, they have less than 5 years to live. Most ovarian cancers involve the cells that make up the surface of the ovaries. We know that ovarian cancer runs in families. However, we don’t know many of the genes involved. The Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium (OCAC) is a group of scientists and doctors studying ovarian cancers. Many of them are trying to find out the genes linked to ovarian cancer. OCAC has found 6 sections of DNA and some genes that might be linked to ovarian cancer. Scientists in this project are going to use BioVU to look for those DNA sections and genes in patients with ovarian cancer. They will use a new cancer “gene chip” to do this. They will look at the genes of patients with ovarian cancer and compare them to those who don’t have it. They will also look at how long the cancer survivors live. They think genes might make a difference in survival.