Whenever Joan Janssen meets fellow ovarian cancer patients, she shares words of wisdom that she’s gained from seven years of living with the disease. “This is a recurring disease; don’t be stunned if it comes back,” she tells them. “You … Read more
By: Deborah Zajchowski, PhD – Scientific Director, The Clearity Foundation
In the past three years, new hope has come to many women with ovarian cancer because of four new drugs that were approved for the treatment of this disease. These … Read more
For many people diagnosed with cancer, the symptoms are obvious. Bumps, lumps and blood where it shouldn’t be are all clear-cut warning signs that something could be wrong.
But for Narell Whitehead, a chance encounter with a TV ad was … Read more
Evidence is growing that all women age 30 and older should be tested for the inherited gene mutations that can cause breast and ovarian cancer, according to British researchers.
“We could prevent thousands more ovarian and breast cancers through a … Read more
It’s known that use of the birth control pill is tied to lower odds for ovarian cancer, but new research shows the benefit extends to smokers or women who are obese.
According to the study from the U.S. National Cancer … Read more
By: Susan Gubar
At diagnosis, quite a few cancer patients spy Eros rushing out the door. I know I did. For some, eroticism vanishes during or after treatment. Anhedonia, the inability to feel pleasure, can afflict both men and women … Read more
BRCA1 mutations are well-known to predispose to ovarian cancer risk. But now a new study, appearing in the Annals of Internal Medicine, suggests that methylation of normal BRCA1 genes might be a major ovarian cancer risk factor. In this … Read more
By Gene Emery
A heated chemotherapy organ bath circulated throughout the abdomen after surgery can significantly prolong a woman’s survival with advanced ovarian cancer, according to doctors testing the new treatment.
Patients who underwent the experimental procedure at 8 hospitals … Read more
Myriad Genetics and AstraZeneca have expanded their collaboration to conduct a study to identify women with advanced ovarian cancer who may benefit from maintenance treatment with Lynparza (olaparib) and Avastin (bevacizumab).
Myriad’s myChoice HRD Plus is a test for BRCA1 … Read more
To date, trials testing the use of immunotherapy in the treatment of ovarian cancer yielded disappointing results. However, researchers are not giving up. Instead, they’re investigating to see if immunotherapy drugs – such as PD1 and PDL-1 inhibitors – can … Read more
When Wendy Ericsson learned she had uterine cancer in December 2012 she went looking for information, but didn’t find much out there about her disease.
Through her doctor, she was directed to the Foundation for Women’s Cancer (FWC).
“There’s a … Read more
I had a family member who was diagnosed with late stage ovarian cancer 20 years ago and died of the disease at the age of 47. Even though her symptoms appeared a year before her diagnosis with abdominal bloating, indigestion, … Read more
By: Elaine Schattner
I expect progress. Here’s my list of major trends and issues that will affect the lives of cancer patients in 2018:
1. Less chemotherapy
A recent report finds that among patients with the most common form of … Read more
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted priority review status to rucaparib as maintenance therapy for women with recurrent ovarian cancer, according to the drug’s developer. The application is for women who are platinum sensitive, and in complete … Read more
By: Susan Gubar
Toward the end of another unexpected year of existence, outliving a poor prognosis of late-stage cancer rouses me in the dark. Such an awakening is quite different from the fretful insomnia that accompanied the dire diagnosis. Especially … Read more
A study published in October showed that high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas (HGSOC), which account for about 75 percent of ovarian cancers, originate with abnormal cells in the fallopian tubes an average of seven years before the disease develops. This understanding … Read more
By: Kelly Irvin
No matter how cancer makes you look, you’re still you—a better you.
It sounds like an obvious statement. But cancer wrecks physical havoc on our bodies, which affects our self-images. I state this for the record because … Read more
Oliver Dorigo, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Oncology), Stanford University Medical Center, talks about the direction of research in the ovarian cancer field going into 2018 and beyond. He shares his excitement about trials that will further … Read more
Whether you’ve already been diagnosed, or you want to know your risk, health experts can test your DNA to determine your chances of developing cancer.
“The testing itself determines whether or not they have inherited this broken gene that could … Read more
