GCF BULLETIN

GCF/NCI Training Grant -- Your Money at Work

Terri Cornelison, M.D. was the first jointly appointed Gynecologic Cancer Foundation/National Cancer Institute (GCF/NCI) Research Fellow. She is currently fulfilling a two year position at the NCI, Radiation Oncology Branch with Dr. Paul Okunieff.

Dr. Cornelison said that she has been interested in science and has been open to a challenge as long as she can remember. At the age of twelve she knew that she wanted to be a doctor, and at fourteen she knew she wanted to specialize in gynecologic oncology. She believes that today's gynecologic oncologists are very open to a variety of medical, surgical and treatment options, therefore constantly presenting an opportunity for challenge.

Dr. Cornelison's research is designed to develop an understanding of basic science as it relates to developing preventative therapies for late radiation fibrosis. When asked what inspired her to pursue this particular area of research, Dr. Cornelison identifies her love for biomolecular scientific knowledge. She has long been intrigued by basic science at the biomolecular level, especially when it comes to cancer cells-- what controls the behavior of cancer cells inside of the patient, and how treatment modalities that can ultimately be designed based on this information. She considers herself fortunate to have had outstanding teachers who have fueled her hunger for knowledge and fostered her interest in the integration of basic science and clinical care.

Dr. Cornelison's study takes a closer look at fibrosis as a side effect of both radiation and surgery and how it limits our ability to successfully treat many patients with gynecologic cancers. Specific projects she has been involved with include: 1) the prevention of late radiation effect fibrosis by TGFb and TNFa expression modulation, 2) a clinical Pentoxifylline trial in patients with radiation-induced advanced regional fibrosis, 3) correlation of clinical response in patients affected by fibrosis with tissue and plasma levels of TGFb, TNFa, and basic FGF,

4) Pentoxifylline protocol to patients with pulmonary and hepatic radiation fibrosis, 5) and investigating the role of superoxide dismutase in patients with radiation fibrosis. She also participates in resident teaching conferences, lectures on radiation fibrosis in combined basic and clinical research conferences, and participates in clinical instruction on gynecologic and surgical patient care to resident physicians.

In addition to this busy schedule, she is working on her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Oncology at George Washington University which she aims to complete by the end of 1997. As a gynecologic oncologist Dr. Cornelison is committed to the integration of basic science research and clinical care, and the GCF/NCI fellowship has been pivotal to this plan.

Ultimately, she would like to continue her clinical and basic science research as a tenure track senior staff physician at the NCI.