OCRF has awarded nearly $6 million in grants for ovarian cancer research this year. After receiving over 170 applications – the highest number in its history, for the second year in a row – OCRF and its prestigious Scientific Advisory Committee endeavored first and foremost to fund the best science. The Committee evaluated each proposal … Continued
1/09/2013 Analyzing DNA from Pap smears could help detect endometrial and ovarian cancer, a new study published Jan. 9, 2013 in Science Translational Medicine reports. OCRF Scientific Advisory Committee member (and former grantee) Doug Levine, MD, was among the authors of the article, which was highlighted on the cover of the journal. The routine Pap smear, which allows … Continued
1/3/2013 In the most recent edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers in the UK published preliminary results from the United Kingdom Familial Ovarian Cancer Screen Study, a large trial testing the hypothesis that ovarian cancer screening may benefit women at familial risk. Results showed that annual screening did lead to diagnosis at an earlier stage, … Continued
Lindsay Avner founded Bright Pink in 2007, shortly after she learned that she carried a mutation in the BRCA gene. Just 22 years old when she was tested, Lindsay realized that she had nowhere to turn for advice on coping with her increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. “There was nothing for women who … Continued
01/01/2013 Previous studies have suggested that BRCA mutation carriers with ovarian cancer have better survival rates than women who are not carriers. Researchers in Canada and the US sought to investigate long-term survival (10 years post diagnosis) in BRCA mutation carriers. Their results show that “for women with invasive ovarian cancer, the short-term survival advantage of … Continued
12/14/2012 | Mindy Gray was devastated by the passing of her beloved older sister, Faith Basser. But she turned loss into legacy and hurt into hope this year when she and her husband Jon founded the Basser Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania in honor of her sister who succumbed to ovarian cancer at … Continued
12/11/12 | In 2012, hardworking, dedicated OCRF scientists made significant advances in the fight against ovarian cancer. Below is just a sample of some of the exciting discoveries made by OCRF-funded researchers this year. With your generous support, OCRF grantees have: Thank you for supporting our mission to fund scientific research that will lead to … Continued
Metformin, a drug used to treat diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), may increase survival for women with ovarian cancer. A study of 239 women with ovarian cancer divided them into two arms: those with diabetes who were taking metformin and those who did not have diabetes. More women with diabetes lived longer. Read the … Continued
Ivan Garcia-Bassets, Ph.D., a 2012 OCRF Grantee, changed his research focus to ovarian cancer after his wife received a devastating diagnosis.
A study by the Commonwealth Foundation found that patients with expensive treatment, such as palliative chemotherapy, were more likely to be turned away from hospice facilities. Some findings include The study found 61 percent of hospices would not accept patients who wanted chemotherapy, which can be used to help ease their pain in their dying … Continued
12/03/2012 Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have shown that ovarian cancer patients who were taking the common diabetes drug metformin survived longer than patients who weren’t on the drug. The research was published online in the journal Cancer. Two former OCRF grantees, Jeremy Chien, PhD, and Ramandeep Rattan, PhD, were among the paper’s authors. While metformin (also called Glucophage) … Continued
When Pam Dahlmann’s mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2009—40 years after her own mother passed away from the disease—both women quickly learned that there were no ovarian cancer organizations in Michigan. “My mom and I were both University of Michigan nursing graduates,” says Pam, “We really wanted to make a difference for other … Continued
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