Professor Salvesen’s research is focused on molecular alterations in gynaecologic cancer, to define potential targets for new therapies and develop reliable biomarkers for individualised therapy. The goal is to perform a comprehensive molecular profiling of primary- and metastatic lesions from cervical, endometrial- and ovarian carcinomas in order to improve trials with molecularly targeted therapy. This project represents clinical research with a strong focus on translational aspects. The study is part of a collaborative platform with Harvard, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and MIT working towards the global characterisation of molecular alterations in metastatic gynaecologic cancer.

Through this work we have identified potentially targetable genetic alterations that are prevalent in aggressive gynaecologic disease (PNAS 2008 and 2009, Nature 2013). Based on this background, we have launched a prospective multicentre study to reduce morbidity, promote individualised treatment and facilitate the implementation of molecularly based targeted therapy for women with gynaecologic cancer. Tissue from primary tumours is collected nationally from several hospitals in the region and internationally through members of the Nordic Society for Gynaecologic Oncology and from European Cancer centres (MoMaTEC1).

During this project we plan to take our previous studies of global molecular classification of primary tumours to a new level, with global characterisation of genetic alterations in fresh tissues from corresponding metastatic lesions and characterisation with advanced imaging techniques (fMRI, PET-CT). The project will focus on molecular alterations in primary tumours and metastatic lesions from the same patient with the goal of identifying targetable and measurable molecular alterations in malignant lesions. A unique sample collection with freshly frozen primary-metastatic sample pairs will be used as an investigation set, and larger series with paired primary-metastatic formalin fixed paraffin embedded lesions will be used for clinical validation.

The ultimate goal is to apply the new knowledge regarding distribution of genetic alterations in malignant lesions to improve the ability to detect these by advanced imaging methods and ultimately develop of trials with molecularly targeted therapy.