National Ovarian Cancer Coalition

Spreading awareness about early detection.

The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) works to prevent ovarian cancer by spreading awareness about the life-saving potential of early detection. Officially founded in 1995, the NOCC strives to inform women about the subtle signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer through the Take Early Action and Live® (TEAL) initiative. Recognizing the early warning signs of ovarian cancer is crucial to treatment and survival. 

The TEAL program educates women and families through various community outreach exhibitions. TEAL representatives are often found tabling at health fairs, presenting at Lunch and Learn events, hosting speaker’s events, and engaging in visual awareness campaigns and resource distribution.

The organization also focuses on supporting newly-diagnosed patients, in addition to improving quality of life for survivors.

Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance

Funding research to better understand, identify and treat ovarian cancer.

The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance (OCRFA) is the largest ovarian cancer research organization in the world. Founded in 1998, OCRFA is an independently funded source of ovarian cancer risk factors, treatments, and cures. The organization has invested $75 million in ovarian cancer research.

“We advance research to prevent, treat and defeat ovarian cancer. We support women and their families before, during and beyond diagnosis. And we work with all levels of government to ensure ovarian cancer is a priority,” according to OCRFA website.

In addition to being a leader of progressive and promising research, the OCRFA also facilitates:

The Clearity Foundation

Offering blueprints of genetic data to prioritize specific treatment options. 

Founded by ovarian cancer survivor Dr. Laura Shawver in 2008, The Clearity Foundation is a non-profit organization offering support to women with recurrent and refractory ovarian cancer. The organization uses health care and research-oriented focus to coordinate lab testing, interpret blueprints, and identify clinical trials. It also focuses on offering free molecular profiling to help ovarian cancer patients and their healthcare providers.

According to The National Cancer Institute, refractory cancer is “cancer that does not respond to treatment,” either immediately after the start of treatment, or during the process.

The organization offers molecular tumor profiling, which informs the ability to identify priority treatment options. The testing focuses on synthesizing data to measure and identify genetic proteins to detect ovarian cancer, which creates a tumor blueprint to enable the physician to select prescription options specific to the individual disease.

According to their website, The Clearity Foundation focuses on:

  • Assisting patients and physicians prioritize therapy options for recurrent and refractory ovarian cancer by providing information about the tumor molecular profile
  • Helping patients find clinical trials for which they may be eligible, based on the molecular characteristics of their tumor
  • Educating patients and physicians about the value of molecular profiling in ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment
  • Expediting the clinical development of novel targeted agents for ovarian cancer by creating a database that correlates tumor molecular profiles with treatment outcomes

“Our team is made up of scientists, physicians, and volunteers who are passionate about changing the paradigm for ovarian cancer treatment from a trial-and-error approach to one that individualizes therapy selection based on each patient’s unique tumor molecular profile,” according to the foundation’s website.

Feeling unsure of how to proceed after receiving a diagnosis is exactly why ovarian cancer organizations exist. They elevate patients with much-needed hope and courage to continue fighting. This combination of vigilance, education, and protection means ovarian cancer support in all its forms will surely continue to flourish.

Ashley Lombardo

Ashley Lombardo is a reporter, editor and photographer currently based in Los Angeles, CA. She studied journalism and cultural anthropology with a focus on long-form, narrative, investigative features. In her spare time, she loves seeing live jazz and funk music.