Though palliative care and hospice care are both used to improve a patient’s quality of life, there are key distinctions between the two — as well as many commonly held misconceptions about how they differ. Dr. Lori Spoozak recently led an in-depth discussion about the two modes of care during an online session held as part of … Continued
With tax season upon us, financial planning is on many people’s minds. While all gifts made by check or credit card are tax-deductible, there are other ways to fund cutting-edge ovarian cancer research that also offer tax benefits. We have new developments that may be of interest: And, of course, there are many other ways … Continued
Update: On 3/11/22, President Biden SIGNED the FY2022 spending bill into law, implementing key ovarian cancer program increases. This represents a major win for the ovarian cancer community, and we applaud all who lent their voices to earn this victory. If you have ever lent your voice on behalf of our shared mission, you — … Continued
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
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
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
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
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
The ovarian cancer community is counting on a hero… and that OCRA Hero could be you! If you’re looking to do good in 2022, it can be as simple (and fun!) as turning your favorite activity into a fundraiser. You can increase awareness and support just by going cycling, getting crafty, giving a concert, gathering … Continued
A prospective cohort study recently published on Vaccines set out to determine the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for gynecologic cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment around the time of their vaccination. In all, 44 gynecologic cancer patients were enrolled in the study, including 28 ovarian cancer patients. Patients involved in the study … Continued
Over the past decade, a new class of drugs called PARP inhibitors have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in ovarian cancer. Three FDA-approved PARP inhibitors — as well as others that are still under investigation — have offered hope for patients and clinicians in their quest to cure ovarian … Continued
Happy new year! While the temperatures may be chilly for many of us, we hope everyone is keeping warm with renewed hope for a year of progress toward our mission, and a strong sense of community. Only three weeks into 2022, and we already have a lot to share. So, without further ado … Research … Continued
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