New Data at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Addressing Rare Form of Ovarian Cancer

Dr. Susana Banerjee, Consultant Medical Oncologist and Research Lead for the Gynecology unit at Royal Marsden NHS and lead investigator discusses results from the registration-directed RAMP 201 trial for Verastem Oncology’s lead compound oral avutometinib (VS-6766) in combination with FAK inhibitor defactinib in low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC) that was presented at the ASCO 2023 annual meeting.

Dr Susana Banerjee is a Consultant Medical Oncologist and Research Lead for the Gynaecology Unit. She is also Reader in Women’s Cancers at the Institute of Cancer Research. Dr Banerjee specialises in ovarian cancer and the systemic treatment of endometrial and cervical cancers.

Dr Banerjee graduated with a first class degree from St John’s College, University of Cambridge, and completed her medical training at Royal Free Medical School where she was a University of London Gold Medal finalist. Dr Banerjee was awarded an Avon Breast Cancer Crusade Clinical Fellowship for laboratory research and gained a PhD from The Institute of Cancer Research, University of London. Dr Banerjee was awarded the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Novartis Oncology Basic Science Award for her research in 2007. Other prizes include the Association of Cancer Physicians McElwain Prize and the Sir Antony Driver Prize. She was also highly commended for the Pfizer British Oncology Association Young Investigator Award. She completed specialist training at The Royal Marsden in 2011.

Dr Banerjee has been involved in several national and international specialist groups including the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Gynaecological Cancers Clinical Studies Group, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Executive Steering Committee for Gynaecological Cancers, ESGO (European Society of Gynaecological Oncology) Congress Faculty and International Gynecologic Cancer Society Scientific Program Committee. Dr Susana Banerjee serves on the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Executive Board as Director of Membership and is also part of the Women for Oncology Committee. She chairs the ESMO Resilience Task Force. She was Track Chair for Gynaecological Cancers for the ESMO Congress 2018, Scientific Co-Chair for ESMO Asia 2018 and Co-Chair of the ESMO Gynaecological Cancers Congress 2021.

Dr Banerjee is an author of over 140 peer-reviewed publications including in the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology and Annals of Oncology.

Her research interests include individualisation of patient treatment, targeted therapies (including PARP inhibitors) and rare gynaecological cancers. Dr Banerjee has Global and UK Chief Investigator roles of multiple national and international clinical trials. She also serves on international and national clinical trial Steering and Safety Review Committees. Dr Banerjee is a member of the advisory board for the international journal Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology and editorial board of Cancer Treatment Reviews and ESMO Open. She has acted as a NICE clinical expert and is a medical advisor for the Ovacome UK Charity.