News

Physical Activity Associated with Lower Risk of Ovarian Can...

Physical Activity Associated with Lower Risk of Ovarian Cancer Mortality

April 8, 2014

(April 8, 2014) A team of researchers have found that vigorous physical activity prior to ovarian cancer diagnosis was associated with a lower risk of ovarian cancer mortality.  The findings were published in Gynecologic Oncology. There is limited knowledge of the association of modifiable lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and obesity on mortality among … Continued

Research

Rachel Zoe and Molly Sims to host Ovarian Cancer Research F...

Rachel Zoe and Molly Sims to host Ovarian Cancer Research Fund’s Inaugural Super Saturday LA

April 7, 2014

Designer Charity Sale expands to the West Coast in celebration of OCRF’S 20th Anniversary; Offers Day-Long Luxury Experiences for the Whole Family Los Angeles, CA (April 7, 2014) – Rachel Zoe and Molly Sims with their husbands Rodger Berman and Scott Stuber will host Ovarian Cancer Research Fund’s 1st Annual Super Saturday LA. The event, … Continued

Events

OCRF Research Identifies Fusion Gene Common in Ovarian Cancer

OCRF Research Identifies Fusion Gene Common in Ovarian Cancer

April 7, 2014

(April 7, 2014) A group of OCRF-funded researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have found a “fusion gene” that is present in 20% of high grade serous ovarian cancer patients.  The finding, which was published in PLOS Genetics, was supported in part by OCRF grants to Martin Matzuk, MD, PhD, Shannon Hawkins, MD, PhD, and … Continued

OCRA News

108 Members of the House of Representative Support Ovarian ...

108 Members of the House of Representative Support Ovarian Cancer Research Funding

April 4, 2014

Each spring, Congress takes up the task of allocating money to federal programs. And each spring, the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance works to ensure that ovarian cancer research funding remains a top priority. This year was no exception. On Wednesday, 108 Members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee … Continued

Advocacy

Discoverer of BRCA genes said “being ignored” h...

Discoverer of BRCA genes said “being ignored” helped her do her research

April 1, 2014

Last week marked the 20th year anniversary of the discovery of the BRCA1 gene by Mary-Claire King, Ph.D., an American geneticist. Dr. King, who was interviewed last week by NPR, talked about how being ignored by her male colleagues actually made it easier for her to do her work. At the time of her discovery, … Continued

Research

Updates from the 2014 Society for Gynecologic Oncology Annu...

Updates from the 2014 Society for Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting

April 1, 2014

Compiled by Robin Cohen, President-Elect, Ovarian Cancer National Alliance As in years past, a wealth of clinical research into ovarian cancer was presented at the 2014 Society for Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) meeting. Some of the biggest news for the ovarian cancer community is summarized below, including SGO’s recommendations regarding genetic testing of ovarian cancer patients … Continued

Advocacy

2015 OCRF Requests for Proposals Now Available

2015 OCRF Requests for Proposals Now Available

April 1, 2014

(April 1, 2014)  Ovarian Cancer Research Fund is now accepting Letters of Intent for its three research grant programs.  Letters of Intent must be submitted by May 6, 2014 at 5:00pm ET.

OCRA News

Causative mutation found for rare form of ovarian cancer af...

Causative mutation found for rare form of ovarian cancer affecting young women

March 26, 2014

A rare type of ovarian cancer called small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type (or SCCOHT) can affect women and girls as young as 14 months old. This week, researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in Arizona, announced that they had found a mutation in a gene called SMARCA4 responsible for this … Continued

Research

Vynfinit gains European approval for treatment of platinum-...

Vynfinit gains European approval for treatment of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer

March 26, 2014

Last week, the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP – the equivalent to the FDA in the United States, recommended approval for vynfinit in the treatment of some platinum resistant ovarian cancers. Vynfinit, developed by Endocyte, targets ovarian cancer cells that have abnormally high levels of the folate receptor. … Continued

Advocacy

Gene Mutation Causes Rare Ovarian Cancer

Gene Mutation Causes Rare Ovarian Cancer

March 25, 2014

(March 25, 2014) In what is being hailed as a major discovery, findings published this week indicate that researchers have discovered a gene mutation that causes Small Cell Carcinoma of the Ovary, Hypercalcemic type. OCRF Scientific Advisory Committee member, and former grantee, Douglas A. Levine, MD, is senior author of one of three papers on … Continued

Research

Partner Member Profile: Bluegrass Ovarian Cancer Support

Partner Member Profile: Bluegrass Ovarian Cancer Support

March 25, 2014

When Suzi Shoemaker was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2006, she assumed there would be a support group for her in Lexington, Kentucky. After her first experience with a Women’s Cancer Group, where she was told “We only had one member with ovarian cancer, and she just died,” Suzi decided there was a need for … Continued

Community

Supreme Court to Hear Arguments March 25 on Birth Control C...

Supreme Court to Hear Arguments March 25 on Birth Control Coverage

March 24, 2014

On March 25 the Supreme Court will hear arguments in two lawsuits that challenge whether for-profit employers must provide health insurance that covers birth control. The lawsuits involve a provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires insurance plans to cover preventive health services, including contraceptives. A number of companies challenged the law, arguing that … Continued

Advocacy