IJGC conversations

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Drs. Robert Wenham and Angeles Alvarez Secord to discuss Pembrolizumab and weekly paclitaxel for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

 

Dr. Robert Wenham is a gynecologic oncologist and Chair of the Gynecologic Oncology Program at Moffitt Cancer Center.  Dr. Wenham has a strong interest in research and is a principal investigator for numerous clinical trials to improve cancer care for women.  His research activities include the use of novel drugs for the treatment of gynecologic cancers.  He has received the Molly Cade Ovarian Cancer Research Award from the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation.  Dr. Wenham enjoys the challenge of helping women with complex issues and the opportunity to offer them cutting-edge therapies, from the latest chemotherapy approaches to biologically targeted therapies, minimally invasive surgery, and clinical trials.  He is also an expert in pelvic exenteration surgery, a very complex operation that offers hope of a possible cure for certain patients with gynecologic cancer.  Clinically, he prefers a more collaborative approach where the patient plays an active role in decisions as he guides them through the pros and cons of their options.  

 

Angeles Alvarez Secord, MD, MHSc, is a professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Duke University Heath System. She received her undergraduate degree with honors from Carroll College in Helena, Montana and graduated AOA with honors from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Secord completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology and her fellowship in gynecologic oncology at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. Upon completing her fellowship in 2001, she joined the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Duke. She is currently Director of Gynecologic Oncology Clinical Trials, Associate Director of Clinical Research, Gynecology Oncology, and one of the Principal Investigators for NRG Oncology at the Duke Cancer Institute. Dr. Secord serves on the GOG Foundation Board of Directors. She is passionate about mentoring the next generation of investigators and serves as the GOG Foundation Education and Mentoring Chair and the NRG Oncology Investigator and Career Development Committee Vice-Chair. Dr. Secord is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and an active member of American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Gynecological & Obstetrical Society, Society of Gynecology & Oncology, and International Gynecologic Cancer Society as well as other professional organizations.

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Roni Nitecki Wilke to discuss Risk-reducing Salpingectomy with Delayed Oophorectomy.

 

Dr. Nitecki Wilke is a gynecologic oncologist and assistant professor at the department of gynecologic oncology and reproductive medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Drs. Alex Melamed and René Pareja to discuss De-escalation in Gynecologic Oncology.

 

Alex Melamed, MD, MPH, is a gynecologic oncologist and clinical outcomes researcher in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mass General Hospital and an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. He co-directs the Inference Lab in MGH's Vincent Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Melamed's research focuses on applying methods that provide meaningful insights from observational data. In particular, his work explores how focusing on temporal and spatial variation in clinical practice can help to uncover how health care affects patient outcomes. Some of his research focuses on increasing understanding of how surgical care affects the lives of cancer patients. Dr. Melamed is an associate editor of the International Journal of Gynecologic Cancer. 

 

Dr. René Pareja is a Gynecologist and Obstetrician, graduated from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Medellín, Colombia in 2000; he finished his training in Gynecologic Oncology in 2003, from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and Instituto Nacional de Cancerología in Bogotá, Colombia.

He is a minimally invasive surgeon, graduated from Corporación de Estudios de la Salud (CES) in 2013. He currently works at Astorga Oncology Clinic in Medellín and at National Cancer Institute in Bogotá, Colombia.

Dr. Pareja serves as a reviewer for more than 20 journals. He has authored or co-authored nine book chapters and more than fifty publications in peer-reviewed journals. Currently he is an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Gynaecological Cancer and is a Council member of the International Gynecological Cancer Society Council. He also serves as an international mentor for the Hospital General San Juan de Dios in Guatemala through the IGCS Global Curriculum & Mentorship Program.Some of his research has influenced how gynecologic oncologists treat cancer and has been published in important medical journals, like the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and Journal of Clinical Oncology.

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, the IJGC editorial fellows are joined by Dr. Reitan Ribeiro.

Dr. Ribeiro is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and the Department of Oncology at McGill University. He is an attending Gynecologic Oncologist and Surgical Oncologist at the Cedars Cancer Center, McGill University Health Center, where he practices as both a clinician and scientist. A pioneer in laparoscopic and robotic surgery, Dr. Ribeiro developed the uterine transposition technique, enabling fertility preservation for patients undergoing pelvic radiation therapy. His work has earned national and international recognition, and he has shared his technique with oncologists worldwide, teaching it at prestigious cancer centers such as the Houston Methodist Hospital (USA), and international societies such as the European Society of Gynecological Oncology (ESGO). He has also led landmark clinical trials in the field of gynecology oncology, including Keynote 001, LACC, and SGNTV-003.
His contributions have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including an Honorable Mention from the Chamber of Deputies of Paraná, Brazil, and the National Medical Treatment Innovation Award (VEJA), best video award from the American Society of Gynecology Oncology (SGO), and the 2025 Outstanding Achievement in Gynecologic Oncology Surgery Award by the International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS) .

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Giorgio Bogani to discuss Uterine Leiomyosarcoma.

 

Prof. Bogani serves as a consultant in gynecologic oncology at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano in Milan, Italy. He completed a research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, USA, with a focus on endometrial cancer and gynecologic oncology. Currently, his expertise is centered on gynecological surgery and experimental medicine.