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Ob/Gyn Clerkship
Division of Gynecologic Oncology
Elizabeth M Swisher, MD

Elizabeth M Swisher, MD
Associate Professor
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Genetics

University of Washington
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Box 356460
Seattle, WA 98195-6460

Main | Affiliations | Honors | Publications

Academic Office:
Clinic Appts:
(206) 685-2463
(206) 288-2273 (new patients)
(206) 288-6200 (returning patients)
Specialties:
Gynecologic Oncology:
• Clinical trials for gynecologic malignancies
• Application of biological modifiers to treatment of gynecologic malignancies
• Genetics and risk reduction of hereditary cancers
Licensure:
• Washington, 1992
Certification:
• Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2001
• Gynecologic Oncology, 2003
Joined UW Medicine: 7/1/99
Education:

• MD degree
   (University of California, San Diego, 1992)
• Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology
   (University of Washington, 1996)
• Fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology
   (Washington University, 1999)
• Women's Reproductive Health Research Career Development Program, Gynecologic Oncology
   (University of Washington, July 1999-October 2002)

Research 
Interests:
• Molecular genetics of sporadic and familial ovarian cancer
• Development of novel diagnostic markers in ovarian cancer
• Quality of life in patients with gynecologic cancers
Current
Research:
Genetic and Epigenetic Markers in Ovarian Cancer
Professional 
Organizations:

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• American Association of Cancer Research
• American Society of Clinical Oncology
• Puget Sound Oncology Consortium

Honors:

• Research Training Scholar Award, Women’s Reproductive Health Research Career Development Program, University of Washington, 1999–2002.

Selected 
Publications:

Swisher EM, Sakai W, Karlan BY, Wurz K, Urban N, Taniguchi T. Secondary BRCA1 Mutations in BRCA1-Mutated Ovarian Carcinomas with Platinum Resistance. Cancer Research 68:2581-6, 2008

Sakai W, Swisher EM, Karlan BY, Agarwal MK, Higgins J, Friedman C, Villegas E, Jacquemont C, Farrugia DJ, Couch FJ, Urban N, Taniguchi T. Secondary mutations as a mechanism of cisplatin resistance in BRCA2-mutated cancers Nature, epub doi 10.1038/nature06633, Feb 8, 2008.

Shah CA, Allison KH, Garcia RL, Gray HJ, Goff BA, Swisher EM. Intratumoral T cells, tumor-associated macrophages, and regulatory T cells: association with p53 mutations, circulating tumor DNA and survival in women with ovarian cancer. Gynecologic Oncology 2008 (in press).

Allison KH, Swisher EM, Kerkering KM, Garcia RL. Defining an appropriate threshold for the diagnosis of serous borderline tumor of the ovary: when is a full staging procedure unnecessary? International Journal of Gynecologic Pathology 1:10-7, 2008.

Chisholm, KM, Goff BA, Garcia R, King MC, Swisher EM. Genomic structure of chromosome 17 deletions in BRCA1 associated ovarian cancers. Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics 2008 (in press).

Walsh T, Casadei, S, Coats KH, Swisher E, Stray SM, Higgins J, Roach KC, Mandell J, Lee MK, Ciernikova S, Foretova L, Soucek P, King, MC. Spectrum of Mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2, CHEK2, and TP53 in Families at High Risk of Breast Cancer. JAMA 2006, 22;295(12):1379-88.

Lamb JD, Garcia RL, Goff BA, Paley PP, Swisher EM. Predictors of occult neoplasia in women undergoing risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy Am J Obstet Gynecol, 2006, 194(6):1702-9.

Galic V, Willner J, Wollan M, Garg R, Garcia R, Goff BA, Gray H, Swisher EM Common polymorphisms in p53 and MDM2 in women with ovarian and peritoneal carcinomas; relationship to p53 mutations and clinical outcomes. Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer 2007, 46(3):239-47.

DelloRusso C,.Welcsh PL, Weixin W, Garcia R, King MC, Swisher EM Functional characterization of a novel BRCA1-null ovarian cancer cell line in response to ionizing radiation. Molecular Cancer Research 2007, 5(1):35-45.

Willner J , Wurz K, Allison KH, Galic V, Garcia RL, Goff BA, Swisher EM Alternate Molecular Genetic Pathways in Ovarian Carcinomas of Common Histological Types. Human Pathol 2007, 38(4):607-13.



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