Reps. Sean Duffy (R-WI) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) to speak at briefing on the state of ovarian cancer in the United States

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Reps. Sean Duffy and Rosa DeLauro, both of whom had personal experiences with ovarian cancer, will celebrate the first anniversary of the Congressional Ovarian Cancer Caucus by headlining a briefing on the Institute of Medicine’s report, Ovarian Cancers: Evolving Paradigms in Research and Care, which was commissioned by Congress.

The report provides an in-depth look at the state of ovarian cancer in the United States. While significant progress has been made in the fight against ovarian cancer in the last few decades, the report highlights the urgent need for more advances to be made in research, treatment, prevention, care and diagnosis. One staggering statistic highlighted in the report is less than one-half of women with ovarian cancer receive standard of care, which can negatively impact survival.

Ovarian cancer is a devastating, deadly disease that takes the lives of over 14,000 women in the U.S. each year. There is no early detection test and the symptoms are often confused with other diseases, leaving 85 percent of women diagnosed in a late stage. Over 22,000 American women are diagnosed each year and 1 in 4 of them will die within a year of her diagnosis. Over 50 percent of them won’t survive five years.

“I witnessed the fear my sister felt when the doctor told her she had ovarian cancer. She fought this horrible disease and eventually won, but for far too many, this diagnosis does not end in remission. This Caucus gives us an opportunity to give this cause a unified voice in Congress,” said Rep. Duffy. “I am proud of the progress we have made in our inaugural year to broaden awareness about this disease and engage several dozen of our colleagues to join our cause. Together, with the Cancer Network, we will continue our work to not just talk about this silent killer but also continue our work with patients, caregivers and researchers to address the logistical barriers that are keeping them from finding a cure.”

“With less than half of women with ovarian cancer receiving care in line with national guidelines, we must fill the gaps in our knowledge to better understand this disease and improve our ability to prevent, detect, and treat it,” said Rep. DeLauro. “As a 30-year survivor of ovarian cancer, I am here today because of two things: the grace of God and the power of biomedical research. Congress has an important role in this effort and we must increase funding for this research so that we can save lives.”

“Thank you to Reps. Duffy and DeLauro for taking their passion about ovarian cancer to lead the charge against this devastating disease. The Congressional Ovarian Cancer Caucus shows that ovarian cancer is a congressional priority and we’re excited to broaden support for ovarian cancer research and education,” said Audra Moran, President and CEO, Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance.

Other speakers at the briefing will include Dr. Carol Brown, President-Elect II, Society of Gynecologic Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Marin Mazzie, ovarian cancer survivor and Broadway star; Miss USA Deshauna Brown; and Chad Ramsey, Vice President, Policy, Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance.

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Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRFA) is the largest global organization dedicated to advancing ovarian cancer research while supporting women and their families. As the voice for ovarian cancer, OCRFA funds private research, advocates for increased federal research and awareness dollars and furthers policies that give women access to the services they need, as well as supports women and their families before, during and after a diagnosis.  Collectively, the organization has invested over $70 million in private ovarian cancer research and helped to secured over $2.2 billion federal dollars dedicated to ovarian cancer research and awareness since 1998.