Joanne Kotsopoulos

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Other Academic Appointments

Hereditary Cancer Advisory Co-Lead, Peter Gilgan Centre for Women’s Cancers, Women’s College Hospital (2019 - present)

Associate Professor (university cross appointment), Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto (2017 - present)

Associate Professor (university cross appointment), Institute of Medical Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto (2016 - present)

Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto (2015 - present)

Scientist, Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital (2009 - present)

At a Glance

• Dr. Joanne Kotsopoulos is a Scientist with the Familial Breast Cancer Research Unit at the Women’s College Research Institute and an Associate Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. She is currently a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Prevention.
• Dr. Kotsopoulos' research program is dedicated at furthering our understanding of BRCA-associated breast and ovarian cancer with the intent of identifying strategies that confer substantial risk reduction and improve outcome. She also leads several projects aimed at improving our understanding of ovarian cancer heterogeneity and at identifying prognostic factors for this highly fatal disease.

About Dr. Joanne Kotsopoulos

Dr. Joanne Kotsopoulos is a Scientist with the Familial Breast Cancer Research Unit at the Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital and an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto. She received her PhD from the University of Toronto in 2007 and subsequently conducted her post-doctoral research training at the Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Dr. Kotsopoulos directs a wide-range of research initiatives to further our understanding of BRCA-associated breast and ovarian cancer, with the goal of identifying viable strategies that confer substantial risk reduction and improve outcomes. Her studies have demonstrated an important role of hormonal, reproductive and modifiable exposures on BRCA-associated cancer development. This critical work has provided women and healthcare providers with evidence-based management options while contributing to our understanding of the pathogenesis of hereditary cancer. Additional interests are aimed at identifying prognostic factors for ovarian cancer, a highly fatal disease, and furthering our understanding of how variation in treatment may impact outcomes. Dr. Kotsopoulos is also actively involved in the teaching and mentoring of students at the University of Toronto across various stages of their academic careers.

Research Synopsis

Women who inherit a mutation in one of the two breast cancer susceptibility genes – BRCA1 or BRCA2 – have an increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Despite the fact that these genes were identified over 20 years ago, surgical prevention remains the most effective strategy for these high-risk women. Dr. Joanne Kotsopoulos, PhD and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Prevention, is investigating these hereditary cancers at the genetic level to deliver evidence-based, personalized strategies to improve women’s health and lower cancer incidence and mortality rates around the world.

BRCA mutation carriers are a unique population that faces extremely high risks of developing breast and ovarian cancer. As part of the Familial Breast Cancer Research Unit, Dr. Kotsopoulos conducts large-scale studies that offer powerful insights to understanding the unique risk factors and characteristics of hereditary cancers. Her research has provided important evidence showing how and why different influences such as hormones and reproductive factors can affect BRCA-related cancer development. Dr. Kotsopoulos’ findings have been the first to illustrate that both oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy increase risk of breast and ovarian cancers, while breastfeeding is protective against this risk. She also showed that oophorectomy, previously thought to reduce breast cancer risk by 50 per cent, actually has a limited effect on risk.

Many BRCA mutation carriers elect to undergo intensive screening instead of prophylatic surgery to manage their cancer risk, highlighting a need for evidence-based non-surgical options for diagnosis and prevention. Dr. Kotsopoulos is using biomarkers – such as sex hormones, mammographic density, circulating tumour DNA and gene expression – to better identify women at the highest risk of developing cancer to improve their chance of survival. She aims to further assess these biomarkers as potential targets for novel preventative drug therapies or as markers for early detection. These critical studies are providing women and healthcare providers around the world with evidence-based management options while contributing to our understanding of the pathogenesis of hereditary cancer.

Recent Awards and Distinctions (Selected)

Women in Science International Award (nominated), L’Oréal-UNESCO, Paris, France (2021)

BRCA Data Analysis Award (declined), Data Analysis in BRCA-related Inherited Cancer Research Institute of Statistics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany (2017)

Canada Research Chair in Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Prevention, Canada Research Chairs Program, Government of Canada (2017 - present)

National and International Committee Memberships (Current)

Member, Ovarian Cancer Epidemiology Analysis Network (2020 - present)

Primary Organizer, Virtual Hereditary Cancer Seminar Series (for patients), Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital (2020 - present)

Committee Member, Canadian Cancer Genetics and Genomics Community of Practice (C2G2 COP), Canadian College of Medical Geneticists (2020 - present)

Expert Advisor, Scientific Advisory Board, Cancer Prevention Initiative (2015 - present)

Organizing Committee Member, Latest Updates in BRCA1 and BRCA2: A Conference on Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer, Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital (2009 - present)

Recent Publications

1. Kotsopoulos J, Zamani N, Rosen B, McLaughlin JR, Risch HA, Kim SJ, Sun P, Akbari MR, Narod SA. Impact of germline mutations in cancer-predisposing genes on long-term survival in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. Br J Cancer. 2022 Jun 16. doi: 10.1038/s41416-022-01840-4. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35710751.
2. Xia YY, Kotsopoulos J. Beyond the pill: contraception and the prevention of hereditary ovarian cancer. Hered Cancer Clin Pract. 2022 Jun 6;20(1):21. doi: 10.1186/s13053-022-00227-z. PMID: 35668475; PMCID: PMC9169328.
3. Kotsopoulos J, Lubiński J, Gronwald J, Menkiszak J, McCuaig J, Metcalfe K, Foulkes WD, Neuhausen SL, Sun S, Karlan BY, Eisen A, Tung N, Olopade OI, Couch FJ, Huzarski T, Senter L, Bordeleau L, Singer CF, Eng C, Fruscio R, Pal T, Sun P, Narod SA. Bilateral Oophorectomy and the Risk of Breast Cancer in BRCA1 Mutation Carriers: a Reappraisal. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2022 Apr 27:cebp.1196.2021. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-21-1196. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35477169.
4. Park SS, Uzelac A, Kotsopoulos J. Delineating the role of osteoprotegerin as a marker of breast cancer risk among women with a BRCA1 mutation. Hered Cancer Clin Pract. 2022 Apr 13;20(1):14. doi: 10.1186/s13053-022-00223-3. PMID: 35418083; PMCID: PMC9008947.
5. Giannakeas V, Kotsopoulos J, Brooks JD, Cheung MC, Rosella L, Lipscombe L, Akbari MR, Austin PC, Narod SA. Platelet Count and Survival after Cancer. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Jan 21;14(3):549. doi: 10.3390/cancers14030549. PMID: 35158817; PMCID: PMC8833779.
6. Xia YY, Gronwald J, Karlan B, Lubinski J, McCuaig JM, Brooks J, Moller P, Eisen A, Sun S, Senter L, Bordeleau L, Neuhausen SL, Singer CF, Tung N, Foulkes WD, Sun P, Narod SA, Kotsopoulos J; Hereditary Ovarian Cancer Clinical Study Group. Contraceptive use and the risk of ovarian cancer among women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. Gynecol Oncol. 2022 Jan 18:S0090-8258(22)00022-1. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2022.01.014. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35063280.
7. Kotsopoulos J. Oral Contraceptives and BRCA Cancer: A Balancing Act. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2022 Jan 20:djac006. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djac006. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35048983.
8. Giannakeas V, Kotsopoulos J, Cheung MC, Rosella L, Brooks JD, Lipscombe L, Akbari MR, Austin PC, Narod SA. Analysis of Platelet Count and New Cancer Diagnosis Over a 10-Year Period. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Jan 4;5(1):e2141633. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.41633. PMID: 35015064; PMCID: PMC8753503.
9. Sina F, Cassani C, Comerio C, De Ponti E, Zanellini F, Delle Marchette M, Roversi G, Jaconi M, Arbustini E, Urtis M, Dell'Oro C, Zambetti B, Paniga C, Acampora E, Negri S, Lazzarin S, Cesari S, Spinillo A, Kotsopoulos J, Fruscio R. Tubal histopathological abnormalities in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers undergoing prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy: a case-control study. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2022 Jan;32(1):41-47. doi: 10.1136/ijgc-2021-003153. Epub 2021 Nov 29. PMID: 34845040.
10. Kim SJ, Lubinski J, Huzarski T, Møller P, Armel S, Karlan BY, Senter L, Eisen A, Foulkes WD, Singer CF, Tung N, Bordeleau L, Neuhausen SL, Olopade OI, Eng C, Weitzel JN, Fruscio R, Narod SA, Kotsopoulos J; Hereditary Ovarian Cancer Clinical Study Group. Weight Gain and the Risk of Ovarian Cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2021 Nov;30(11):2038-2043. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-21-0296. Epub 2021 Aug 23. PMID: 34426412.

In the News

Weight-gain and the risk of ovarian cancers in BRCA 1 and  BRCA 2 mutation carriers. Physician’s Weekly. Basking Ridge, NJ, USA. August 26 ,2021.  

Expert Spotlight - Joanne Kotsopoulos. Bi-weekly newsletter, Briefings in Breastfeeding Medicine. New York, NY, USA. November 6, 2020.  

Is it time to break up with your menopause hormone therapy? Health Central. New York, NY, USA. December 5, 2019.

Type and Timing of Menopausal Hormone Therapy May Affect Breast Cancer Risk. Androgren and Reproductive Disorders, Endocrinology Advisor. New York, NY, USA. September 25, 2019. 

BRCA Mutations and Breast Cancer. Causes and Risk Factors, Breast Cancer, Cancer, VeryWellhealth. New York, NY, USA. September 5, 2019. 

Menopause hormone therapy increases breast cancer risk for years. Tech Explorist. Maharashtra, India. August 31, 2019. 

Breast cancer: Menopause treatments increase the risk. Loop News. Haiti. August 30, 2019.

Hormone therapies increase the risk of breast cancer in the long term. Science, ORF.at. Vienna, Austria. August 30, 2019.

La terapia ormonale in menopausa aumenta il rischio di cancro al seno. Ecco di quanto. (Hormone therapy during menopause increases risk of breast cancer. Here’s how much) Oncoline, Il Canale di Oncologia, La Repubblica. Rome. Italy. August 30, 2019. 

THM increases the risk of breast cancer according to a new study. Cancer Society, LaVanguardia. Barcelona, Spain. August 30, 2019.

Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer Link Confirmed. Interviewer: Roxanne Nelson. Oncology News, Medscape Medical News, MedScape. New York, NY, USA. August 29, 2019. 

Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer: Yes, There Is Risk.  HRT, OB/Gyn, Medpage Today. New York, NY, USA. August 29, 2019. 

2019 Aug 29     E-magazine interview. Hormone therapy during menopause raises breast cancer risk for years, study finds. Interviewer: Megan Thielking. Health, STAT. Boston, MA, USA. https://www.statnews.com/2019/08/29/hormone-therapy-breast-cancer-risk/

BRCA mutation, preventive surgery, and osteoporosis. Interviewer: Kristen Monaco. The Clearity Foundation. San Diego, CA, USA. August 8, 2019. 

BRCA Mutation, Preventive Surgery, and Osteoporosis. Interviewer: Kristen Monaco. Osteoporosis, Endocrinology Medpage Today. New York, NY, USA. August 8, 2019. 

Current Lab Members (within the Department of Nutritional Sciences)

Katherine Pullella - PhD student

Sarah Park - MSc student

Teaching Appointments

Course Instructor, NFS1226 - Nutrition and Cancer, Department of Nutritional Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto