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
Most people who dedicate their lives to raising awareness about ovarian cancer, or who dedicate a gift-giving occasion to raise funds for research, have a personal connection to the disease. But for Maite Monardes-Gonzalez, a 15-year-old in Santiago, Chile, that inspiration came from the movies. Ever since she was three, Maite knew she had an … Continued
Spring is almost here and we’re welcoming the warmer weather with a careful and creative return to in-person OCRA Heroes events, including Ovarian Cycle rides and other fitness fundraisers! And many events will still include virtual options, too. A focus on safety–and fundraising Though upcoming events will look a little different than the indoor spin … Continued
As we gear up for our first ever virtual Spring Advocacy Day — which will welcome more than 200 participants, double our usual crowd! — we couldn’t help but take a moment and look back. In a year when the world all but shut down, we accomplished quite a lot on a policy level, thanks … Continued
Imagine, if you will, a scene from yesteryear: rows of telephone operators sitting in front of giant switchboards, lights blinking on and off in seemingly random patterns, hands working quickly to plug and unplug wires in order to foster connections. If you can picture that, you can begin to get a sense of the impact … Continued
PARP inhibitors have proven to be particularly valuable in improving progression-free survival for patients with certain types of ovarian cancer. But unfortunately, these gains come at a high financial cost to many patients, with a recent study showing that Medicare beneficiaries are the hardest hit. A team of researchers from The University of Alabama at … Continued
There are several types of ovarian cancer, and while they may have different origins, treatments, and prognosis, they all affect the ovaries and can be diagnosed with similar tests and procedures. Before going down the path of diagnosis, it’s important to understand that symptoms are not always present with ovarian cancer. A good baseline is … Continued
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