Ovarian Cancer

A coordinated multidisciplinary team of cancer experts cares for our patients across our UW Medicine facilities. Our physicians and scientists are recognized nationally for both their collaboration and expertise in ovarian cancer by the National Institutes of Health via their Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) award to our institution. Team physicians and scientists work together to attack the fundamental mechanisms of ovarian cancer and design novel personalized therapies.

Research

We have a multidisciplinary team approach to the treatment of patients with ovarian cancer that includes, state-of-the-art surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, nutrition, social work, physical therapy, psychiatry, nursing, and translational science that promote the best chances of cure and the highest possible quality of life. The genetic program in ovarian cancer is world renown here and focuses on prevention and using that genetic information to design novel and targeted treatments.

Our physicians lead multiple clinical trials for gynecologic cancer, including phase I, II, and III along with trials in prevention and survivorship. This allows patients to have access to some of the most cutting edge treatments and to participate in advancing our knowledge of how to best prevent and treat gynecologic cancers.

We have one of the most active cancer immunology and tumor vaccine groups in the country and are actively researching and developing therapies that use a patient’s own immune system to help fight off cancers.


Dr. Elizabeth Swisher
STTR Ovarian Cancer Deputy Director

Dr. Swisher is a UW associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and an adjunct associate professor of medical genetics. She is the medical director of the Breast and Ovarian Cancer Prevention Program. Dr. Swisher's clinical interests include gynecologic cancer, cancer prevention, cancer genetics, novel therapeutics and minimal invasive surgery. She has a research and clinical focus on the genetics and prevention of gynecologic cancers.

Learn more about Dr. Swisher's clinical practice