Setsuko K Chambers, MD

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Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology
National Academy of Medicine Member
Division Director, Gynecologic Oncology
Director, Gynecologic Cancers Clinical Trials Team
Biography
Dr. Setsuko Chambers is one of the few nationally recognized Gynecologic Oncologists elected to the National Academy of Medicine. She specializes in gynecologic cancers and is one of the few gynecologic oncologist physician-scientists in the country, active as both a researcher and clinical gynecologic oncologist.
Dr. Chambers received her BS and MD degrees from Brown University. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology and a fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at Yale University. She was the first female tenured professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
At the University of Arizona Cancer Center, Dr. Chambers is the Director of Women's Cancers and holds the Bobbi Olson Endowed Chair in Ovarian Cancer Research.
Cancer Focus
Dr. Chambers’ expertise spans basic through translational research, clinical trials, to active clinical care. She runs several innovative chemotherapy trials in gynecologic cancer, open at the University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC). She served as UACC Cancer Biology Program co-Director from 2008 to 2013.
She directs a laboratory devoted to understanding the molecular basis for breast and ovarian cancer metastasis and initiation. Her laboratory continues to study UTR regulators of gene expression, including RNA binding proteins, miRNAs, and other more novel means of regulation including via RNA epigenetics or mRNA 3' end polymorphism.
She developed in 2004, and continues to serve as Director of the only clinic for individuals at high risk for breast, ovarian and other hereditary cancers in Arizona, situated at UACC. She has developed biomarker trials for women at risk for gynecologic cancer.
She established in 2006, and continues to serve as Principal Investigator, of the UACC Tumor Biorepository.
She serves as Gynecologic Cancer Clinical Trials team director since 2004.
Selected Publications
Fader, A. N., D. M. Roque, E. Siegel, N. Buza, P. Hui, O. Abdelghany, S. Chambers, A. Alvarez Secord, L. Havrilesky, D. M. O'Malley, et al., "Randomized Phase II Trial of Carboplatin-Paclitaxel Compared with Carboplatin-Paclitaxel-Trastuzumab in Advanced (Stage III-IV) or Recurrent Uterine Serous Carcinomas that Overexpress Her2/Neu (NCT01367002): Updated Overall Survival Analysis.", Clin Cancer Res, vol. 26, issue 15, pp. 3928-3935, 2020 Aug 01. PMID: 32601075
Lin, K. K., M. I. Harrell, A. M. Oza, A. Oaknin, I. Ray-Coquard, A. V. Tinker, E. Helman, M. R. Radke, C. Say, L-T. Vo, et al., "Reversion Mutations in Circulating Tumor DNA Predict Primary and Acquired Resistance to the PARP Inhibitor Rucaparib in High-Grade Ovarian Carcinoma.", Cancer Discov, vol. 9, issue 2, pp. 210-219, 2019 Feb. PMID: 30425037
Woo, H-H., and S. K. Chambers, "Human ALKBH3-induced mA demethylation increases the CSF-1 mRNA stability in breast and ovarian cancer cells.", Biochim Biophys Acta Gene Regul Mech, vol. 1862, issue 1, pp. 35-46, 2019 Jan. PMID: 30342176
Gruessner, C., A. Gruessner, K. Glaser, N. AbuShahin, Y. Zhou, C. Laughren, H. Wright, S. Pinkerton, X. Yi, J'nae. Stoffer, et al., "Flutamide and biomarkers in women at high risk for ovarian cancer: preclinical and clinical evidence.", Cancer Prev Res (Phila), vol. 7, issue 9, pp. 896-905, 2014 Sep. PMCID: PMC4154987 PMID: 24950779
Woo, H-H., T. Baker, C. Laszlo, and S. K. Chambers, "Nucleolin mediates microRNA-directed CSF-1 mRNA deadenylation but increases translation of CSF-1 mRNA.", Mol Cell Proteomics, vol. 12, issue 6, pp. 1661-77, 2013 Jun. PMCID: PMC3675821 PMID: 23471483
Chambers, S. K., H-H. Sherry Chow, M. F. Janicek, J. M. Cragun, K. D. Hatch, H. Cui, C. Laughren, M. C. Clouser, J. L. Cohen, H. M. Wright, et al., "Phase I trial of intraperitoneal pemetrexed, cisplatin, and paclitaxel in optimally debulked ovarian cancer.", Clin Cancer Res, vol. 18, issue 9, pp. 2668-78, 2012 May 01. PMCID: PMC3343173 PMID: 22421191