On April 9, President Biden released his discretionary funding request for fiscal year 2022. Within the request, the President announced the creation of an agency that would take on high-risk, high-reward health research seeking to advance medical technologies. The agency is modeled after the renowned Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) which leverages public investments … Continued
National Superhero Day may bring to mind fictional characters swooping in to the save the day with feats of strength, but here at Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, we celebrate the real-life OCRA Heroes who are doing their part to save lives in our community. The below heroes may not possess superhuman strength, powers of invisibility … Continued
“What do I want my legacy to be? How do I want to be remembered? What do I want to leave behind?” These are not the typical questions a marathon-running man in his early 30’s might ponder. Yet for Jonathan Sockolosky, this is what turned over and over in his mind following the death of … Continued
Janice Murphy is a woman with many passions: sharing her love of the Great American Songbook, living life to the fullest — and making sure healthcare providers know that ovarian cancer may pose a greater risk for older lesbian women. Janice was 62 years old and newly married to a woman she had been committed … Continued
Every year, more than 22,000 people are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Most (85% – 90%) will be diagnosed with a form of epithelial ovarian cancer; and among these, most will be high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). Though HGSOC is the most common type of ovarian cancer, there are several different types and subtypes of the … Continued
Researchers at the University of Utah and Huntsman Cancer Institute found that an ovarian cancer diagnosis took a much higher mental toll on patients and survivors than initially expected at the start of the study, thus underscoring the critical need for programs that provide psychological and emotional support for people living with this disease. “Mental health … Continued
OCRA grantees Dr. Rugang Zhang and Dr. Shuai Wu, both of The Wistar Institute, along with colleagues, have discovered a vulnerability in cancer cells that harbor certain genetic mutations. Their findings, which involve the ARID1A gene, point to potential new pathways of treatment for patients living with ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC). What is an ARID1A mutation? ARID1A … Continued
Fertility preservation is an important consideration for many young ovarian cancer patients and one common procedure is egg freezing. Here are common questions and considerations to take into account while making those decisions. What is Egg Freezing? To start, the scientific name for a woman’s egg is called an oocyte. At birth, a woman has … Continued
On Friday, March 19, U.S. House Representatives Grace Meng (D-NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Norma Torres (D-CA) released a bipartisan “Dear Colleague” letter urging the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee to fund the Ovarian Cancer Research Program (OCRP) at $45 million for Fiscal Year 2022, an increase of $10 million over last year. OCRP is the only federally-funded … Continued
The snow is (finally!) melting in the areas where many of us at OCRA work and live, the COVID vaccine is rolling out, and there is so much work being done to improve the lives of the ovarian cancer community … we can’t help but feel hopeful. Read on to discover the latest, and perhaps … Continued
OCRA’s Spring Advocacy Day, held March 8-9, looked a little bit different this year. For starters, we met online rather than in Washington D.C. But while the natural and obvious reaction to virtual life is to focus on what we’ve lost, we’re choosing to focus on all that we’ve gained from having to move our … Continued
Each year, OCRA honors individuals doing important and notable work in the ovarian cancer field with a research prize to help propel their future discoveries. Individuals are selected by members of OCRA’s Scientific Advisory Committee. Dr. Sarah Adams Awarded Liz Tilberis Research Prize for Outstanding Early Career Investigators The Liz Tilberis Research Prize is awarded … Continued
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