2025 WCHRI Summer Student

Understanding a rare and aggressive cervical cancer

Kenzie Vaandering’s research addresses the lack of clear treatment guidelines for a rare but aggressive type of cervical cancer, neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix (NECC). 

Her project is a retrospective study looking at the medical records of women with NECC who were treated in Edmonton between 2007 and 2024. By analyzing survival times, treatment-related complications and patterns of disease recurrence, her goal is to provide evidence-based recommendations for clinical practice.

“I did not expect to see the personality of many patients come through so clearly in their medical charts. In reading the medical records of these women, I feel as though I can see their story unfold beyond the clinical data... This has been a powerful reminder that behind every case number is a unique individual, and that developing a strong patient-provider relationship is indispensable for quality patient care.”

Goals:

• Describe survival times and treatment-related complications in patients with NECC.
• Identify specific factors that may impact patient outcomes.
• Describe the timing and patterns of disease recurrence after treatment.

Potential impact: The findings from this study will provide crucial, made-in-Alberta data to help guide clinical decisions for treating NECC. By identifying the most effective treatments, this research could potentially improve patient survival and quality of life for women diagnosed with this rare cancer.

Supervisor: Fleur Huang, associate professor, Department of Oncology

Funder: Alberta Women’s Health Foundation

Interested in doing research to improve the health of women and/or children? Read more about WCHRI’s training awards for students at all levels and generous grants for researchers.