Supporting gynecologic cancer research: the last 20 years and beyond.

Fig. 1. Number of applications received versus awards offered by the Foundation for Women's Cancer between 1995 and 2007. The last four decades have witnessed remarkable advances in gynecologic cancer care and research. The year 2011 is an important year in gynecologic oncology since it marks the 20th anniversary of the Foundation for Women's Cancer (previously known as Gynecologic Cancer Foundation [GCF]). The change in name, implemented in March, 2011, signals the organization's determination to expand its outreach and mission to women not yet diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer, and to alert them to methods of prevention and early detection of cancers unique to women. This occasion offers a unique opportunity for us to honor the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future. For the well-being of women at risk for and those who are affected by gynecologic malignancies, understanding the genesis and basis of these cancers forms the foundation for future advances in treatment and prevention. This foundation is built, in part, by recruiting new generations of investigators interested in gynecologic malignancies. At a national level, the numbers of physician-scientists have continuously withered over the last 30 years [1–4]. These trends have implications not just for gynecologic oncology, but also for obstetrics and gynecology and other biomedical specialties. To reverse these trends within obstetrics and gynecology, two programs were launched—the American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Foundation (AAOGF) Scholars Program in 1984 and the Reproductive Scientist Development Program (RSDP) in 1988. Both of these programs have been quite successful in providing support to individuals early in their academic career [2,5]. However, given the broad focus of these programs, there remained a need for programs focused on gynecologic cancers. Moreover, federal funding for gynecologic cancers has either declined or remained relatively flat for many years [6]. This rate of funding, coupled with the increasing age at which an investigator obtains initial NIH funding, has created an ever increasing need for providing seed grants to new investigators. The Foundation for Women's Cancer was established by the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists (SGO) in 1991 and includes all SGO members, giving seamless access to the latest evidence-based information about the prevention, early diagnosis and optimal treatment of gynecologic cancers. Funding for research has become a cornerstone of Foundation for Women's Cancer's commitment to knowledge creation. Uniquely, the research grants program targets young investigators with the hope that “seed” grants will provide encouragement and financial support at a crucial point in career paths, eventually blossoming into more researchers dedicated to gynecologic cancer research. The first such research grant was awarded in the 1995–1996 academic year. The family of Karin Smith began the legacy of honoring the memory of loved ones through funding of research awards to promising young researchers. The Karin Smith/GCF Research Award in Ovarian Cancer recipient was