Letter from the CEO
As 2010 draws to a close, this issue of The Teal Journal: the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance Periodical of Progress focuses on some of the year’s high points for advancement in the science surrounding ovarian cancer. This year has been, in many ways, a year of great promise for those of us touched by this dreadful disease. At the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists and the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meetings, scientists reported more studies concerning... Read More
Ask the Expert
Rebecca Sutphen, M.D., FACMG Professor of Genetics, University of South Florida College of Medicine; Chief Medical Officer, Informed Medical Decisions 1. Why are the BRCA mutations called breast cancer gene mutations when they increase a woman’s risk of developing ovarian cancer too? The original search for the BRCA1/2 genes was focused on families with hereditary breast cancer and as a result, the genes were named ‘breast cancer gene 1′ and ‘breast cancer... Read More
2010 Progress in the Science and Treatment of Ovarian Cancer
As 2010 closes, the Teal Journal asked a number of experts in the ovarian cancer field to share their thoughts about scientific progress this year. We asked: What were the most significant findings this year related to a further understanding of ovarian cancer? Daniel Clarke-Pearson, MD President of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists There are a number of things on the horizon that give me hope. The first is PARP inhibitors. They appear to be a potential for therapeutic intervention,... Read More
Surgery First or Chemotherapy First: A New Study
Study Asserts Alternative Timing of Treatments for Advanced Ovarian Cancer Prove Comparable Most women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer through tumor samples taken during an intensive surgery known as debulking. Normally, women have chemotherapy treatment after debulking surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. Many women with ovarian cancer will face a recurrence and require additional chemotherapy treatments and or surgeries. A study published by the New England Journal... Read More
Preventive Strategy: British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA) Fallopian Tube Study
For years, scientists, clinicians and advocates have suspected that some ovarian cancer cases originate in the fallopian tubes. In 2009, a study confirmed this suspicion, and in 2010, doctors in Canada started urging their colleagues to change medical practice based on the 2009 findings. The group of Canadian doctors, through the British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA), is asking that doctors performing routine hysterectomies or tubal ligations remove a woman’s fallopian tubes.... Read More
Myriad Lab Visit
Understanding that genetics is still a developing field, the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance visited Myriad, a laboratory working in the area of genetic diagnostics, to better understand the new science and the relevance of diagnostics to patients… One of the milestones and major breakthroughs in the growth and knowledge about ovarian cancer was the discovery and cloning of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, that, when mutated, put a woman at increased risk for developing both breast... Read More
