News

First Patients Dosed in Phase 2 Platform Clinical Trial Testing Novel Immunotherapy Combinations in Highly Malignant Ovarian Cancer

May 11, 2022

The following is a press release from Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance and Cancer Research Institute: NEW YORK, May 11, 2022 — The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) and Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) announced today that the first patients have been dosed in their new multi-center platform clinical trial testing novel cancer immunotherapy combinations in patients … Continued

Watch Now: What’s New in Ovarian Cancer Research and Treatment

May 11, 2022

Many exciting updates about progress against ovarian cancer were presented at this year’s Society of Gynecologic Oncology’s Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer — the largest meeting of gynecologic cancer experts in the world. This April, gynecologic oncologist and ovarian cancer expert Dr. Sarah Adams joined OCRA for an interactive webinar reporting on the highlights (in … Continued

OCRA-Funded Study Pinpoints Partner Proteins That May Contribute to Ovarian Cancer Tumor Growth

May 3, 2022

The interaction between two partner proteins may promote the growth of the most common ovarian cancer subtype, according to recent findings from OCRA-funded researchers at University of Pennsylvania and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and their colleagues. The learnings, which were published in Science Signaling, may pave the way for the future development of new targeted therapies. HGSOC … Continued

New Immunotherapy Combination May Help Combat Ovarian Tumors

April 28, 2022

A therapeutic strategy that targets key tumor proteins shows promise for treating the most common subtype of ovarian cancer, according to a recent study led by OCRA grantee Duygu Ozmadenci, PhD, of the University of California, San Diego Moores Cancer Center.  High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is the most common subtype of ovarian cancer, with approximately 75% of epithelial ovarian cancers … Continued

Benoît Bragantini, PhD | Meet a Scientist

April 14, 2022

Dr. Benoît Brangantini, of Mayo Clinic, is a 2021 recipient of OCRA’s Mentored Investigator Grant. With his project, “Probing Homologous Recombination DNA Repair Factors in Chromatin by cryo-EM,” Dr. Bragantini aims to better understand how DNA damage and repair mechanisms can lead to ovarian cancer, and how these processes can be controlled to prevent ovarian … Continued

Highlights: 2022 Annual Meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO)

April 12, 2022

Submitted by ovarian cancer survivor Annie Ellis, OCRA Research Advocate and Scientific Advisory Committee member This year’s SGO annual meeting was held in Phoenix, Arizona from March 18-21. Approximately 2,100 medical professionals attended in person with several hundred more attending virtually to learn the latest on gynecologic cancers. By now, you may have seen professional coverage … Continued

Researchers Discover Genetic Link Between Ovarian Cancer Subtypes and Endometriosis

April 11, 2022

Some ovarian cancers are genetically linked to the gynecologic disorder known as endometriosis, according to recent findings from an international team of researchers. Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus — the endometrium — grows outside the uterus. Though endometriosis is classified as a benign disorder, it … Continued

Melanie Weigert, PhD | Meet a Scientist

March 2, 2022

Dr. Melanie Weigert, of University of Chicago, is a 2021 recipient of OCRA’s Mentored Investigator Grant. With her project, “Genome-Wide Profiling of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine on Cell-Free DNA,” Dr. Weigert aims to identify biomarkers that can predict how cancer cells will respond to platinum-based treatments, helping guide patients with potentially platinum-resistant cancer toward alternative therapies. Dr. Weigert’s … Continued

Comprehensive Study Provides Recommendations for Better Ovarian Cancer Patient Care

March 1, 2022

Key recommendations for improving care of ovarian cancer patients in the United States have been published as part of a collaborative, in-depth initiative spearheaded by the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) and involving a joint partnership between OCRA, the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, the National Society of Genetic Counselors, and the Association for Molecular Pathology.  The initiative was guided … Continued

New Study Shows Surgical Removal of Fallopian Tubes Can Reduce Ovarian Cancer Risk

February 25, 2022

In promising news on the prevention front, one surgical procedure that leaves the ovaries intact may greatly reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. Recent research findings show that the surgical removal of fallopian tubes in a procedure known as an opportunistic salpingectomy may prevent the most common subtype of ovarian cancer from developing. The procedure … Continued

The Overview: February 2022

February 15, 2022

This may be a short month, but it’s not short on all the many ways to get involved. In the meantime, we hope you feel the Valentine love from all of us at OCRA. Advocacy Patient Support & Programs Events Research Ways to Give

New Research Shows Cervical Cells May Hold Key to Predicting Ovarian Cancer Risk

February 9, 2022

Cervical cell samples that are routinely collected as part of Pap smears may hold promise for predicting the risk of ovarian and other cancers, according to recent findings published as two separate papers in Nature — one focused on ovarian cancer and the other on breast cancer. The researchers studied cervical samples collected at 15 different health centers in Europe … Continued