Dr Janine Lombard

Dr Janine Lombard
Research Program:
Project Grant
2016 Project Grant
Project Grant
2015 Project Grant
Project Grant
2015 Project Grant

What are your research interests?

  • Gynaecological cancers  - I have a strong interest in ovarian and uterine cancers. My research interests lie in both early detection/ prevention as well as the treatment of advanced disease. In ovarian cancer I have a particular interest in the treatment of chemotherapy resistant disease and finding new ways to overcome treatment resistance.
  • Breast Cancer – I am involved in research across the spectrum of breast cancer from prevention to treatment of both early and advanced disease

Why did you get into research?

I am a clinician working daily with women fighting breast and gynaecological cancer. These women inspire me to continue research in these diseases. There are many unanswered questions in women’s cancer with so much scope for improving prevention, early detection and treating both early and late disease.

What would be the ultimate goal for your research?

One day I hope we have a way of detecting ovarian cancer far earlier, especially at a stage where most women will be cured. In terms of breast cancer a goal is finding ways to better target our treatments by finding changes in the tumor and using drugs that directly work on those changes.

Biography

Dr Lombard is a Medical Oncologist with busy clinical practice in the public and private sector. She specialises in breast and gynaecological cancers. She has a strong research interest and is involved in several groups furthering research in women’s cancers including Breast Cancer Trials, Australia New Zealand Gynaeoncology Group (ANZGOG), HMRI and HCRA. She is a senior researcher in the Medical Oncology Research Group at Calvary Mater Newcastle and has been the Principal Investigator of >20 trials (from Phase 1b through to Phase 4) over the past decade.

Future Focus

Huge strides have been made in the last decade to better define gynaecological and breast cancers. We now know that breast cancer (as with many gynaecological cancers) is not one illness but several different subtypes. By defining these subtypes we can find better treatments which are more effective as they are more targeted. My future focus would be to use this expanding knowledge base to find ways of targeting specifically ovarian cancer better.

Specialised/Technical Skills

Dr Lombard exclusively treats patients with breast and gynaecological cancer and has particular expertise in the management of aromatase inhibitor side effects.

Affiliations

2016

Development of a chemotherapy test for ovarian cancer
Project Grant
Researchers:

Dr Nikola Bowden, Dr Jim Scurry, Dr Geoff Otton, Dr Ken Jaaback, Dr Janine Lombard

Description:

Project Goal - To develop a test for predicting ovarian cancer response/resistance to cisplatin chemotherapy that can be quickly implemented in clincial centres. Such a test would let the doctor know that the patient is becoming resistant to cisplatin chemotherapy. At this stage there is no test available meaning some people remain on the wrong treatment protocol for the course of their treatment, suffereing toxic side effects for no benefit. The sooner treatment is switched the higher the chance that the patient will respond. 

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2015

Nerves and Neurotrophins as New Therapeutic Targets in Cervical Cancer
Project Grant
Researchers:

Professor Hubert Hondermarck, Phil Jobling, Marjorie Walker, Janine Lombard, Jay Pundavela, Sam Faulkner

Description:

A new paradigm shift in oncology has revealed the role of nerves in cancer initiation and progression.

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Development of a chemotherapy test for ovarian cancer
Project Grant
Researchers:

Dr Nikola Bowden, Dr Jim Scurry, Dr Geoff Otton, Dr Ken Jaaback, Dr Janine Lombard

Description:

To develop a test for predicting ovarian cancer response/resistance to cisplatin chemotherapy that can be quickly implemented in clincial centres.

more