Dear Friends,
Every day, I’m reminded that this community doesn’t wait for change—it builds it, together.
That’s true across everything OCRA does, and it’s true of the impact we have made, with your help, through our September fundraising campaign.
Because so many of you have stepped forward, we’ve extended our goal to $350,000. Every gift helps fuel groundbreaking research, sustains our innovative programs that provide information, support, and hope to our community every day, and helps us continue to advocate for the policies that protect patients. I hope you’ll join us in raising the final $34,444 before September ends.
Thanks to our community, OCRA is a fundamentally different organization than we were even five years ago—bringing together researchers, patients, and partners across borders in ways that once felt out of reach. Our Community Accelerated Research Exchange, including the Living Lab, our secure patient registry, is bringing together real-world experiences and health information to support research around the world, so knowledge moves faster and reaches the people who need it most.
Our International Gynecologic Cancer Conference® is another reminder of what your support makes possible on a global scale. This September, we welcomed more than 2,000 participants from 65 countries around the world—patients, caregivers, clinicians, and researchers, all in one virtual room. For the first time, the Conference featured multiple live “Ask the Experts” sessions dedicated to ovarian, endometrial, cervical, and rare gynecologic cancer diagnoses, giving attendees the chance to put their questions directly to a panel of leading gynecologic cancer experts. These informative videos are now available for anyone to watch, whenever they may need them.
The Conference closed with a conversation I won’t soon forget: Sarah DeFeo, OCRA’s Chief Program Officer, in dialogue with Tig Notaro, the Oscar-nominated producer of Come See Me in the Good Light, which follows her close friend, the poet Andrea Gibson, through an ovarian cancer diagnosis.
Their exchange explored what it means to live well, why connection matters so much in this experience, and how hope can hold steady even amid uncertainty—something I think about often in this work.
Thank you for making all of this possible and for helping us build the brighter future this community deserves.
Gratefully,
Audra Moran
President & CEO, Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance
Bipartisan Legislation Introduced to Improve Prevention, Testing, and Care for Gynecologic Cancers
September brings major legislative news, as bipartisan leaders in Congress introduced the Ovarian Cancer IMPACT Act in both the Senate and House.
OCRA’s Center for Public Policy helped bring this legislation together, and we’re deeply grateful to Senators Elissa Slotkin and Katie Britt and Representatives Rosa DeLauro and Don Bacon for their leadership and commitment to patients and families.
The bill would expand access to genetic testing and counseling, cancer prevention and risk-reduction, and specialized gynecologic cancer care, especially for people in rural and underserved communities. Learn more in OCRA’s Advocate’s Corner.
Don’t forget—there’s just one day left to apply for OCRA’s 2027 Advocate Leaders cohort. Apply by September 30.
Ovarian Fitness Events Take Place Across The Country in Honor of Ovarian and Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month
OCRA’s Ovarian Fitness Events in Washington DC, Rio Grande Valley, Tampa, and Orlando
OCRA supporters organized fitness events throughout the country for Ovarian and Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, raising awareness and funds for OCRA’s programs and making a powerful impact in their communities.
It’s not too late to make a difference. Please consider making a gift to help us reach our extended September fundraising goal, and follow us on social media @ocrahope to stay updated on ways to get involved.
Updates from the Living Lab
We have early data on age at diagnosis for Living Lab participants with an ovarian cancer diagnosis. The data offers an interesting snapshot of who is joining the registry and where we aim to increase representation.
Nationally, about half of ovarian cancer diagnoses occur in people 65 and older, but this age group makes up a smaller share of Living Lab participants so far. Age can shape treatment decisions, side effects, and long-term care needs, so a registry that reflects the full range of ages helps researchers ask better questions for everyone.
The Living Lab is OCRA’s registry for anyone in the United States diagnosed with ovarian, fallopian tube, peritoneal, endometrial, or uterine cancer. Learn more at ocrahope.org/livinglab.
Support for the Living Lab is provided by AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and GSK.
News from OCRA’s Research Exchange
Researchers around the world are working toward better understanding and treatments for gynecologic cancers—and you can view summaries of the latest progress through OCRA’s Research Exchange.
Explore some of the latest highlights below, and read more in our most recent Research Digests.
- Researchers developed a blood test combining platelet RNA with routine blood-count data that detected ovarian cancer more accurately than CA-125 in an early study, although its ability to detect stage I disease remains limited and requires further evaluation.
- A phase II trial found that combining the immunotherapy serplulimab with bevacizumab and chemotherapy produced tumor responses in 75% of patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer, supporting further study of the combination in larger phase III trials.
- A large analysis of 42 studies involving more than 91,000 patients found that robotic and laparoscopic hysterectomy provide similar cancer control and survival outcomes for endometrial cancer, suggesting the choice of approach can be based on patient needs, surgeon expertise, and available resources.
- A review of vaginal precancer (VaIN) highlights its potential to recur after treatment, particularly for high-grade disease, underscoring the importance of long-term follow-up with regular HPV testing and screening.
Support & Education Updates: Biomarkers, Dual Diagnoses, and More
This October, OCRA will host new support and education offerings in addition to our ongoing programming, including:
Ovarian Cancer 101 (Workshop Series)
Gain foundational knowledge about genetic and biomarker testing, treatment, and clinical trials, to become your own best advocate.
October 5, 19, 26 at 2PM | Register
Two Cancers, One Conversation: When Breast and Ovarian Cancer Intersect (Roundtable):
Experiencing both a breast and gynecologic cancer diagnosis can bring a unique and complex set of emotions, questions, and decisions. Join a supportive space to connect around the realities of navigating a dual diagnosis.
October 21 at 12PM | Register
Cracking the Code: What Biomarkers Mean for Your Cancer Treatment (Webinar):
Join us for a discussion with
Sarah Ackroyd, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UChicago Medicine, to learn what biomarkers are, what testing helps identify them, the latest in early detection biomarker research, and how advances in research are changing the way these tests are used to personalize care.
October 28 at 1PM | Register
As always, our regular programs continue in October. Register for upcoming programs below, and click here to view all support and education programming. All times are listed in Eastern Time.
Staying Current: Treatment for Endometrial Cancer
October 6 at 11AM | Register
Staying Current: First-line and Maintenance Treatment for Newly Diagnosed Ovarian Cancer
October 8 at 1PM | Register
Staying Connected: Book Club
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
October 13 at 3PM | Register
Staying Current: Treatment for Platinum-Sensitive Recurrent Ovarian Cancer
October 15 at 1PM | Register
Staying Current: Treatment for Platinum-Resistant/Refractory Recurrent Ovarian Cancer
October 22 at 1PM | Register
Staying Connected: Narrative Medicine
October 23 at 11:30AM | Register
Staying Connected: Express Yourself
“Fearless Fall Friends”
October 29 at 3PM | Register
OCRA’s Patient Support and Education programs are generously sponsored by AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Genentech, Genmab, GSK, Merck, Natera, PMV Pharma, the Shirley Z. Johnson Trust, Verastem, and Zentalis.
