Groups to Jointly Invest $8 Million in Ovarian Cancer Research Projects

To help find innovative ways to detect, treat, and prevent ovarian cancer, the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance and the American Cancer Society plan to jointly invest $8 million in four multidisciplinary research projects, yet to be announced.

The four-year initiative, which also seeks to prevent disease relapse and improve patients’ quality of life, aims to raise funds to back investigators looking into biological, clinical, and psychosocial elements associated with ovarian cancer outcomes.

After funding is secured, the research teams will be selected through a proposal and peer review process.

”More and more, scientists and organizations are recognizing the need to break down barriers and work together to find answers,” William Phelps, PhD, senior vice president of extramural research, American Cancer Society, said in a news release. “This approach is particularly important in ovarian cancer, a disease for which new innovative treatments are urgently needed.”

The fifth-leading cause of cancer death among women, ovarian cancer causes more fatalities than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. According to the American Cancer Society, some 22,530 women in the United States will be diagnosed with the disease this year. Of them, 13,980 will die.

A major issue is that upon diagnosis, four of five patients will already have advanced disease, a condition associated with higher risk of persistent and recurrent cancer following treatment. Currently, there is no way to predict how long individuals in remission will survive, or which women will likely experience significant bouts of symptoms.

“We are excited to accelerate breakthroughs in the fight against high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma — the deadliest form of the disease — by collaborating with American Cancer Society,” said Audra Moran, president and chief executive officer, Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance. “Together our two organizations have supported over $135 million in ovarian cancer research since the 1990s, but this new partnership will allow us to multiply our impact.”

The American Cancer Society conducts and funds research, shares expert information, supports patients, and spreads the word about prevention. The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance is fighting ovarian cancer from all fronts while supporting patients and their families.