Australian National Endometrial Cancer Study (ANECS)

The Australian National Endometrial Cancer Study (ANECS) is a collaboration between epidemiologists, geneticists, molecular biologists, and clinicians. The aims are to:

• identify the causes of endometrial cancer, particularly in Australian women, to help prevent it from occurring
• improve patient management
• identify ways to improve quality of life and survival after a diagnosis of endometrial cancer.

ANECS participants include about 1,400 women who were diagnosed with endometrial cancer between 2005 and 2007 and 1,300 women without endometrial cancer from across Australia. We have collected a broad array of information from each participant, including questionnaire data on lifestyle exposures, family history of cancer and medical information, detailed treatment information and biological specimens including blood samples. Follow-up information was collected 3 years post diagnosis where possible.

Recruitment for the study is now complete.

This study has been approved by all the relevant Human Research Ethics Committees and conforms to the requirements of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.

Sub Studies

ANECS Genetic and Biological Markers of Risk and Recurrence

• Associate Professor Amanda Spurdle, QIMR Berghofer
• Professor Douglas F Easton, Cambridge University, UK
• Dr Alison Dunning, Cambridge University, UK
• Professor Ian Tomlinson, University of Oxford, UK
• Professor Xiao-Ou Shu, VanderBilt University, USA
• Dr Donal Brennan, Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital
• Dr Dan Buchanan, Melbourne University
• Mrs Lesley McQuire, Consumer Representative.

ANECS Follow-up and Quality of Life

• Professor Penny Webb, QIMR Berghofer
• Dr Christina Nagle, QIMR Berghofer
• Dr Monika Janda, Queensland University of Technology
• Professor Michael Quinn, Royal Women's Hospital, Victoria
• Professor Andreas Obermair, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital
• Professor Martin Oehler, Royal Adelaide Hospital
• Dr Alison Brand, Westmead Hospital
• Professor Margaret Davy, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Flinders Medical Centre, Burnside Hospital
• Associate Professor Penny Blomfield, Royal Hobart, Launceston, North West Regional Hospitals, Burnie & Mersey
• Mrs Lesley McQuire, Consumer Representative.

Endometrial cancer, also known as cancer of the uterine corpus or the lining of the womb, is the 6th most common cancer in Australian women. There are more than 2,03,300 new cases and 33,660 deaths from the disease every year and a woman has a 1 in 540 risk of being diagnosed with endometrial cancer by the age of 85.

Most affected women are aged between 50 and 70 years, and the total number of cases is increasing each year, due to the increasing number of older women in the population and the increasing rates of obesity, a known risk factor for the disease.

Overall, survival is good and more than 80% of women are still alive and well five years after their diagnosis. However, some less- common subtypes of endometrial cancer are much more aggressive and are associated with much lower five-year survival rates.

Familial cancer

Some people may have a faulty copy of one or more genes that is causing their cancer. This is more likely to occur in a relatively small group of people who develop cancer at an unusually early age, and/or have many close family members affected with cancer.

We aim to identify the changes or mutations that cause faulty genes and are associated with a greater chance of cancer occurring in some individuals and their close relatives.

The study was run by scientists at QIMR Berghofer, Brisbane, Queensland, together with doctors at many of the large hospitals around Australia.

Principal Investigators

• Associate Professor Amanda Spurdle
• Professor Penny Webb.

Investigators and Collaborators

New South Wales

• Sally Baron-Hay, Royal North Shore Hospital
• Tony Bonaventura, Newcastle Mater Misericordiae Hospital
• Alison Brand, Westmead Hospital
• Stephen Braye, John Hunter Hospital
• Jonathan Carter, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
• Felix Chan, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Liverpool, Westmead Private Hospital
• Chris Dalrymple, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

• Alan Ferrier (deceased), Royal North Shore Hospital, North Shore Private Hospital, Mater Misericordiae Hospital
• Gregory Gard, Royal North Shore Hospital, North Shore Private Hospital
• Neville Hacker, Royal Hospital for Women
• Russell Hogg, Westmead Hospital
• Roger Houghton, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Liverpool Hospital
• Donald Marsden, Royal Hospital for Women
• Kirsty McIlroy, Royal North Shore Hospital
• Geoffrey Otton, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle Private Hospital
• Selvan Pather, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
• Tony Proietto, John Hunter Hospital
• Greg Robertson, Royal Hospital for Women
• James Scurry, Newcastle Private Hospital
• Ragwha Sharma, Westmead Hospital
• Gerry Wain, Westmead Hospital
• Felix Wong, Liverpool Hospital.

ANECS recruitment and data analysis has been generously funded by several Government grants and Charity organisations including:

• National Health and Medical Research Council Australia
• Cancer Australia
• NHMRC
• Cancer Council Queensland
• Cancer Council Tasmania
• QIMR Berghofer & RBWH
• Rio Tinto Ride to Conquer Cancer
• Weekend to End Women's Cancers.