The Overview: April 2023

Auction Opens Soon

Have you always wanted to own a piece of pop culture history? Cancer Gets Lost, an online charity auction, is opening its offerings this week, and all proceeds will benefit OCRA. You can get rare and signed items from hit shows and movies, and make an impact on the future of ovarian cancer treatment and care! Bid on items from hit shows Abbott Elementary, The Mandalorian, Ted Lasso, SNL, and Seinfeld, and from films including Glass Onion, Lord of the Rings, Avengers, and more. There are even items signed by Taylor Swift! (May we suggest that it’s never too early to find that perfect holiday gift?) Preview mode is now open, and bidding begins on Sunday, April 16^th. Registration is mandatory — be sure to click “Get approved to bid” in the  upper corner of the auction preview page. You do not want to miss this!

Support Programs Survey

If you have benefitted from OCRA’s patient support programs, we want to hear from you! Your testimony may be just the thing that inspires someone else to seek out support. We’re expanding our programs and have brought on a new LCSW Oncology Social Worker to meet the growing needs of our community. We want to be sure that everyone who is touched by gynecologic cancer — be it someone newly diagnosed or a loved one of someone in treatment — knows there is support out there and understands how valuable it can be. Please fill out this simple form to share your experience, and why you would recommend these services to others.

OCRA-Funded Research Investigates Metastasis

A new study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation and funded in part by OCRA, has found that mesothelial cells are a critical factor in ovarian cancer metastasis.

Staying Connected Series

In addition to our ongoing Staying Connected support series, OCRA’s Book Club will meet on May 2nd to discuss It’s Always Something by Gilda Radner; and on May 18th, we will offer two Express Yourself sessions with the theme ‘Spring Migration — Traveling Home.’ Register for these or learn about other programs.

SGO Annual Meeting

The Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) recently held their Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer. Their sessions provided a lot of information and you can read the highlights here.

OCRA Heroes Spotlight

Our gratitude goes out to OCRA Heroes Ethan Willey and Mark Everitt, who each committed to tackling 70.3-mile triathlons as a show of solidarity for our community. Find out who inspired them to get involved, and how they hope to help all those impacted by ovarian cancer.

Don’t miss these quick updates!

• OCRA’s 2024 Letter of Intent (LOI) Submission date just passed, and we had a 10% increase in submitted LOIs this year. These LOIs are currently being reviewed by our Scientific Advisory Committee to determine which applications should be invited to submit a Full Proposal, the next step in the 2024 Grant Cycle.
• Congratulations to Annie Ellis, OCRA Research Advocate and member of our Scientific Advisory Committee, on well-deserved recognition from the Society of Gynecologic Oncology! For her contribution to advocacy for diversity in health equity in gynecologic cancer, Annie received the SGO’s Health Equity Awareness and Advocacy in Gynecologic Oncology Award at this year’s annual meeting.
• Johnson & Johnson recently paid nearly $9 billion to tens of thousands of people who claim talcum powder caused their cancer. Research on talcum powder and ovarian cancer risk is inconclusive.
• OCRA’s research and patient support programs are made possible thanks to the generous support of our community. Donate today to make a difference.