Role of Mitochondrial Bioenergetics in Resilience for Gynecologic Cancer

This research study aims to better understand how treatment for advanced gynecologic cancers affects a person’s physical and mental well-being over time. Doctors want to see how feasible it is to track changes in strength and thinking skills before and after a patient completes their standard chemotherapy and surgery. You may be eligible for this study if you are at least 50 years old and have been newly diagnosed with Stage II to IV ovarian, fallopian tube, primary peritoneal, or endometrial cancer. To participate, your planned treatment must include chemotherapy both before and after a surgery to remove the tumor. This study is for patients who have not been previously treated for these cancers and do not have a history of brain-related conditions, such as dementia or a recent traumatic brain injury.

If you join, participation involves completing physical and cognitive assessments at various stages of your care. During your scheduled surgery, doctors will collect a very small sample of muscle tissue, and you will also provide blood samples totaling about four tablespoons over the course of the study. Before enrolling, you should discuss with your doctor how these extra assessments fit into your treatment schedule. You may also want to ask how the results of these tests and the muscle biopsy might help researchers improve care for future patients facing similar diagnoses.