Latest Medical & OCAN News Articles

The Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Nevada wants to help extend your knowledge by keeping you informed about the latest happenings in this area of your health. They consist of articles not only about medical breakthroughs, but of success, hope, and actions. The following links are to articles for the current month, that have appeared in newspapers, publications and TV stations from sources throughout both the U.S. and world wide, and are available with on-line editions. Each listing has a short opening paragraph of the article. The listing of the links are by date published, with the most recent found listed first.

For archived articles prior to the current calendar month, please see: Ovarian Cancer Archived News


April 2006

Apr 29, 2006 - "MSNBC - Newsweek International",
Breast and Ovarian Cancer: New Hopes, Longer Life
An estimated 213,000 new cases of breast cancer and 20,000 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2006. Together, the two diseases will kill more than 56,700 U.S. women this year; the yearly toll comes to well over a million women worldwide, according to a 2002 World Health Organization study. The statistics are sobering, but the good news is that recent breakthroughs in treatment are boosting hopes and improving survival rates for women facing these terrible foes.

Apr 28, 2006 - "Connecticut Post", Bridgeport, CT
Yale ovarian cancer test a promising technology
A blood test developed at Yale University to detect ovarian cancer in its early stages may soon be commercially available — a move that could change the way people view the deadly disease. In the United States, ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, affecting about 25,000 women each year. It also kills more than 16,000 women each year, making it the leading cause of gynecologic cancer death. Because it has no early symptoms, it often isn't diagnosed until its advanced stages, when it's too late to do anything about it.

Apr 28, 2006 - "The Gazette", MD
United Therapeutics moves on to ovarian cancer drug
The future seems bright for the Silver Spring company. It turned a profit of $65 million in 2005, just seven years after going public; it is entering final human testing of an ovarian cancer drug with a potential blockbuster market; and it is about to open a new $32 million laboratory in Silver Spring,

Apr 28, 2006 - "NY Daily News", NYC, NY
When cancer struck, she fought back
When it comes to battling cancer, says Karin Barrett, the best offense is a good defense. Barrett, 43, of Bayside was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in November 2004, shortly after cancer claimed her father's life. As if that wasn't enough, she recently learned that her father-in-law has prostate cancer. Nevertheless, Barrett and her family refuse to let their frequent bouts with the deadly disease dampen their spirits. This wasn't always the case.

Apr 26, 2006 - "Cancer Consultants", Ketchum, ID
Change in CA-125 Linked with Ovarian Cancer Prognosis
Among women with advanced ovarian cancer, a decline in serum levels of CA-125 during platinum-based chemotherapy was linked with better survival. These results were published in the journal Gynecologic Oncology. Over the past 10 years, platinum-based chemotherapy regimens (regimens containing carboplatin or cisplatin) have become the mainstay of treatment for women with advanced ovarian cancer. Most commonly, the chemotherapy regimen containing a platinum plus paclitaxel is used for the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer.

Apr 25, 2006 - "WLTX TV - CH 19", Columbia, SC
Ovarian Cancer and Its 'Whispering Symptoms'
Filling Cathy Novinger's office walls are pictures with dignitaries, numerous awards, and a calendar that proves cancer doesn't care how busy you are. "Why not me? I"m not anymore special than anyone else? So why not me?" Novinger rationalized.

Apr 25, 2006 - "The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle", Rochester, NY
Macedon youngster offers profound lesson in courage
Kim Insalaco knows that some people might consider her roller-coaster ride to earn a spot on the U.S. women's ice hockey team inspirational, but the former Greece Athena student and Brown University player, who helped the United States capture the Olympic bronze medal in February, said it pales in comparison to Sara Kelly's story. The 10-year-old from Macedon, who is valiantly fighting a rare form of ovarian cancer, was honored at Monday's 28th annual WHAM Sportswomen of the Year Awards Luncheon at the Clarion Riverside Hotel.

Apr 25, 2006 - "WABC TV - CH 7", NYC, NY
NY - Ovarian cancer support a phone call away
Lorraine Bajada, a survivor of ovarian cancer, is taking calls from the only ovarian cancer hotline in the state. Ovarian cancer is difficult to detect and by the time many women are diagnosed, the disease is advanced. And so hotline volunteers don't just dispense advice, they give hope.

Apr 25, 2006 - "The Seattle Times", Seattle, WA
Seattle do-gooders wade into water's big leagues
Most companies riding the U.S. bottled-water craze are behemoths: Coca-Cola sells Dasani, PepsiCo has Aquafina and Nestlé peddles Arrowhead and Poland Spring. But there's a little player in Seattle that has something the corporate powerhouses can't match. It's a nonprofit and now it's going national. Athena Partners began selling bottled water three years ago and puts all profits toward women's cancer research and education. It's also personal. May's mother died of ovarian cancer 13 years ago, and three months later, at age 39, May was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Apr 24, 2006 - "WLS TV - CH 7", Chicago, IL
Ovarian Cancer Breakthrough
They call it the silent killer. Less than half of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer will survive five years after their initial diagnosis. Women with cancers unable to be debulked (reducing tumor size) effectively have an average survival of a little over a year and will have about two years if their cancer can be debulked effectively.

Apr 23, 2006 - "Daily Southtown", Tinley Park, IL
Keep fighting!
Rhoda Elias beat her first cancer 16 years ago. She rejected a mastectomy and found a specialist who eliminated the bad cells but saved the breast. The third time, a doctor told her she would die within two years. "I don't think so," she told him, hand on hip. That was 1995. Not dead, she is enjoying her retirement in Frankfort, in between trips to tropical resorts with her husband, daughters and grandchildren. Elias, 64, has since learned that she carries a genetic predisposition toward breast and ovarian cancer, but she won't easily accept answers she doesn't like.

Apr 21, 2006 - "Wilmington Star", Wilmington, NC
Family treats cancer survivors to a celebration
Buddy Bowen and his daughter Andrea Gunnell, along with a group of family members and friends, are cooking dinner for more than 200 people in memory of Cassie Bowen, who died of ovarian cancer in 2004. Bowen’s wife and Gunnell’s mother, Cassie Bowen, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at age 49 after experiencing pains in her side that she thought were kidney stones.

Apr 21, 2006 - "Ocean City Today", Ocean City, MD
Miss Maryland awaits word whether she’s in top fifteen
Miss Maryland USA Melissa DiGiulian is primed, primped and prepared to take the stage tonight (Friday) at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore with the 50 other contestants in the Miss USA pageant. The preliminary competition was last week, and the 51 women, after performing their opening number, will find out who the top 15 are. If she wins the title and crown ( it’s designed by Mikimoto, the official jewelry sponsor of the Miss Universe Organization, and is valued at $200,000, with more than 480 diamonds, 120 white South Sea and Akoya pearls and over 11 carats) she will also be whisked away to New York and start her reign as Miss USA. She would travel the world raising money for ovarian and breast cancer, one of the organizations main charity.

Apr 21, 2006 - "Press Zoom", Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Largest Cancer Diagnostics Research Project Based in Vienna
Timely and optimal cancer therapies - this is the aim of OVCAD, a new EU research initiative that will identify proteins and changes in genes and RNA expression that could predict the future course of ovarian cancer at the time of diagnosis. The 15 participating groups from six countries, to be coordinated from the Medical University of Vienna (Austria), will begin their work with a kick-off meeting there on 23. April. OVCAD, initially planned for three years, is the largest single project for the early diagnosis of cancer in Europe, and has a budget of over EUR 4.2 million.

Apr 21, 2006 - "Newsweek", New York, NY
Breast and Ovarian Cancer: New Hopes, Longer Life
April 24, 2006 issue - An estimated 213,000 new cases of breast cancer and 20,000 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2006. Together, the two diseases will kill more than 56,700 women this year, with breast cancer accounting for 41,400 of those deaths. The statistics are sobering, but the good news is that recent breakthroughs in treatment are boosting hopes and improving survival rates for women facing these terrible foes.

Apr 21, 2006 - "",
Multimarker assay for ovarian cancer most promising to date
The search for a specific protein that could help diagnose ovarian cancer in its early stages has for years eluded researchers who are seeking a reliable and accurate test for the disease. Instead of searching for a single protein, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine used a new technology to analyze a large number of proteins, or potential biomarkers, from a very small sample of serum from women with ovarian cancer and identified a combination of biomarkers that could help in early detection.

Apr 21, 2006 - "Doctor NDTV", Delhi, India
Sedentary lifestyle raises ovarian cancer risk
Sedentary lifestyle, devoid of moderate physical activity seems to raise the risk of ovarian cancer. Researchers from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta found that previous studies that have looked at the impact of physical activity on ovarian cancer risk have produced conflicting results. A recent study, conducted in China, examined the role of sedentary activity, which was associated with a minimally increased risk of ovarian cancer risk.

Apr 20, 2006 - "Sea Coast Online", Portsmouth, NH
Scientists unlock birch tree's potential for fighting disease
Imagine the treatment for some cancers growing in our forests. Or powerful drugs for herpes, HIV or liver disease. How about a natural source of biodegradable plastic, skin conditioner or mosquito repellent? Or maybe a nontoxic pesticide or fungicide for gardens?

Apr 20, 2006 - "Medical News Today", UK
Scientists Reveal First Ever Complete Structure Of Crucial Anti-Cancer Drug Target
Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research today reveal the molecular structure of HSP90, one of the most exciting new anti-cancer drug targets, which may greatly help in developing targeted treatments for a range of cancers including: prostate, breast, bowel, ovarian and kidney.

Apr 14, 2006 - "News 8 Austin", Austin, TX
Living longer with ovarian cancer
They call it the silent killer. Less than half of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer will survive five years after their initial diagnosis. Women with cancers unable to be debulked (reducing tumor size) effectively have an average survival of a little over a year and will have about two years if their cancer can be debulked effectively.

Apr 19, 2006 - "Town Talk News", Holmes, PA
Robin Cohen and Adriana Way -- Founders of the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation
This is a story for women and the men who love them. It is a story about Sandy Rollman, a courageous woman who gave her life so that others might live. Rollman grew up in Broomall, attended local schools, and graduated from Cardinal O'Hara High School. She married the man of her dreams and settled down to have a family and continue the charmed life she knew as a child. But the young couple was unsuccessful in having children. In their earnest quest for a baby, they tried everything, turning ultimately to the promise of fertility drugs. Sandy died of ovarian cancer soon after her 33rd birthday in 2000.

Apr 19, 2006 - "The Post Chronicle",
Current Cancer Therapy May Become Obsolete
A Washington University study in St. Louis suggests cancer therapy based on a tumor's anatomical location may soon become obsolete. When researchers compared cancerous tumors they found the location of a tumor did not correlate as to how the cancer interacted with standard anticancer drugs.
Additional news at: Doctors Guide

Apr 18, 2006 - "The State", Columbia, SC
Ovarian cancer benefit planned at Capital City Club
Tea seems to be the beverage of choice for promoting ovarian cancer awareness this year. A Spring Tea to educate women about ovarian cancer will be held at 1 p.m. May 12 at the Capital City Club. Proceeds will benefit the S.C. division of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, which is sponsoring the event.

Apr 18, 2006 - "Cumberland Times-News", Cumberland, MD
Hole in one sponsor
Chris Carpenter, center, from Thomas Subaru/Hyundai, recently finalized plans with Stacy Diehl and Judy Fitzgerald to be a hole in one sponsor for the second annual Mother's Day Golf Tournament to benefit the Tri-State Ovarian Cancer Alliance.

Apr 16, 2006 - "Palm Beach Post", West Palm Beach, FL
Foul ball Soriano's most important swing
Alfonso Soriano has smacked plenty of game-winning home runs and hits. But of all the swings he has taken in his career, it's a life-saving foul ball that gives him the most joy. "I think God blessed me,'' Soriano said Friday in the Washington Nationals' clubhouse at Dolphin Stadium, "because I never thought I'd save somebody's life with a foul ball. That's amazing. Unbelievable.'' It's a story best told from the beginning, which was actually near the end of a baseball game last season May 7 at Ameriquest Field in Arlington, Texas, when Soriano was playing for the Texas Rangers.

Apr 16, 2006 - "Macon Telegraph", Macon, GA
The hardest part of hope: Woman recounts life with cancer
After learning that she had ovarian cancer in 1999, Linda Tillery began sending almost-daily e-mail updates of her condition — along with her thoughts, prayers and insights — to friends and loved ones. In January, she sent 250 or so pages of those messages to Telegraph reporter Joe Kovac Jr., at his request. Later, in extensive interviews, Tillery revealed more. The resulting "as-told-to" story — nearly all of it in Tillery's own words, both written and spoken — was pieced together to become "The Hardest Part of Hope."

Apr 12, 2006 - "Medical News Today", UK
Cancer Treatments That Target Just The Cancerous Cells
Conventional cancer treatments are generally effective in wiping out tumor cells, but in the process they also may kill healthy cells. Researchers are focusing their efforts now on treatments that can target just the cancerous cells, without harming healthy tissue in their midst. These new types of drugs are known as targeted therapies, and physicians are studying their effectiveness and possible side effects in a variety of different types of cancer.

Apr 11, 2006 - "The State", Columbia, SC
Tea parties will help fight ovarian cancer
Jennie Camp Hudgins has missed and mourned her sister for 2½ years. She wants to do more. Starting this spring, she’s creating a meaningful memorial to her sister and all other women who have experienced ovarian cancer, with an idea that should be resourceful, healthful — and even fun. Hudgins of Northeast Richland, and her niece Elizabeth McCune of North Carolina, are helping to organize a network of Blue Hydrangea Tea Parties that will raise money for organizations that help women battle one of the most difficult cancers. Ovarian cancer is virtually impossible to screen for and often tricky to detect. It has a five-year survival rate of only 25 percent.

Apr 10, 2006 - "Herald-Dispatch", Huntington, WV
Group releases cookbook to raise awareness for ovarian cancer
If cooking good meals could help save lives, then Eva Madden would spend all day in her kitchen. Madden and dozens of other women who are members of Sharing, the gynecological support group, have recently released a cookbook to raise awareness for ovarian cancer.

Apr 10, 2006 - "North WestArkansas News",Fayetteville, AR
Fables and Faith : For every decision becomes a destination
As you can imagine, I’ve been highly influenced by my wife Zoe Ann. Watching her as she battles ovarian cancer can only be described as a "meaningful journey." Her illness, coupled with her faith, has produced, for me and many others, a sense of awe. I’m indebted to her for teaching me Faith 101. As the days of Lent roll into Holy Week, I find myself still searching, my heart aching for answers I’ll never know. But just one look into her eyes convinces me of the truth of God’s love.

Apr 09, 2006 - "Pensacola News Journal", Pensacola, FL
Cancer survivors count the years and celebrate milestones
Two amazing, terrifying, wonderful years. Two of the most important years of my life. It has been two years since my diagnosis of ovarian cancer. And it has been two years filled with the kinds of checkups that every cancer survivor prays for -- the kind where your doctor looks at your chart, your test results or your surgical site and smiles.

Apr 07, 2006 - "Science Daily", Chevy Chase, MD
Fighting To Reverse The Effects Of Ovarian Cancer
This year, 2,300 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and within five years, the disease will kill 75-percent of them. It is a statistic that some women in South Jersey are working to reverse. Theirs is a grass roots campaign that started at a kitchen table and now is getting the attention of hundreds.

Apr 07, 2006 - "Pittsburgh Live", Pittsburgh, PA
'Gilda's Club' construction touches workers
This is no ordinary construction project. Not when the blueprints include a design for The It's Always Something Room. Not when many of the electricians, carpenters and plumbers on the job put their signatures in a memory book, next to the name of a loved one they lost to cancer. Day by day, Gilda's Club of Western Pennsylvania is emerging from beneath the scaffolding and drywall at the former Foundry Ale Works in the Strip District.

Apr 06, 2006 - "Medical News Today", UK
A Better Method Of Detecting Ovarian Cancer
According to the National Cancer Institute, ovarian cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. An estimated 20,180 new cases of ovarian cancer are expected in the United States this year. Routine screening for women is limited because, unlike mammograms for breast cancer, there are no sufficiently accurate screening tests currently available. The pelvic examination can only occasionally detect ovarian cancer, generally when the disease is already in advanced stages.

Apr 06, 2006 - "Cancer Consultants", Ketchum, ID
Epoetin Alfa Reduces Transfusions and Improves Quality of Life in Ovarian Cancer Patients
According to an article published in the British Journal of Cancer, treatment with epoetin alfa (EPO) reduced the need for blood transfusions and improved quality of life for patients with ovarian cancer who were treated with platinum-based (cisplatin or carboplatin) chemotherapy. Anemia is a common adverse effect of some chemotherapy regimens. It is characterized by low levels of circulating red blood cells, which are responsible for delivering oxygen to tissues throughout the body.

Apr 06, 2006 - "The State", Columbia, SC
Novinger takes on her toughest battle yet
Cathy Novinger knows how to fight. As a lobbyist for SCANA Corp., she regularly took on state government. As a business and community leader, she has dealt with some of the area’s most contentious issues. Now, she is in the biggest fight of her life. So far, she is winning. Novinger was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in August. Like many women, she went to the doctor to complain about minor pain in her abdomen.

Apr 06, 2006 - "The Globe And Mail", Toronto, Ontario, CN
Getting a jump on ovarian cancer
A Canadian high-tech entrepreneur believes a dose of Silicon Valley thinking, combined with West Coast scientific expertise and topped with some cold, hard cash, is the right recipe for discovering something that has long eluded cancer researchers: an early-detection test for ovarian cancer. Don Listwin, former No. 2 person at Cisco Systems Ltd. of San Jose, Calif., donated $1-million yesterday to an ambitious research project that he hopes will produce a simple, life-saving blood test by the end of the decade.

Apr 06, 2006 - "Weston Town Crier ", Framingham, MA
Fashion show to fight cancer
Ovations for the Cure is presenting Boston's first annual Stuart Weitzman Fashion Show on Friday, April 7 at the Westin in Waltham to raise funds for ovarian cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and awareness of the symptoms of this often-fatal disease. The luncheon will feature Stuart Weitzman's spring line, plus an appearance by CBS4 arts and entertainment anchor Joyce Kulhawik, who is an ovarian cancer survivor.

Apr 05, 2006 - "4 Women", Washington, DC
Ginger an Ovarian Cancer Killer
Ordinary ginger causes ovarian cancer cells to die, highlighting the spice's potential in fighting the killer disease, a new study found. Not only did ginger trigger ovarian cancer cell death, it did so in a way that may prevent tumor cells from becoming resistant to treatment, a common problem with chemotherapy.

Apr 05, 2006 - "The Herald", UK
‘My family don’t know . . . how am I going to tell them?’
Edith Murray was told she had ovarian cancer while she was lying in a hospital ward. She recalled: "The consultant pulled the curtains around my bed, said basically 'we have found a mass and the cells that have been taken from the fluid are malignant'." What seemed like minutes later, he left.

Apr 04, 2006 - "Cancer Consultants", Ketchum, ID
Dietary Flavonoids May Decrease Risk of Ovarian Cancer
According to results presented at the 97th annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), dietary intake of flavonoids may decrease the risk of developing ovarian cancer. However, further study is necessary to confirm this finding. Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death among women in the U.S.; according to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 22,220 new cases were diagnosed in 2005.

Apr 04, 2006 - "ABC News", New York, NY
Ginger, pepper treat difficult cancers
Ginger can kill ovarian cancer cells while the compound that makes peppers hot can shrink pancreatic tumors, researchers told a conference on Tuesday. Their studies add to a growing body of evidence that at least some popular spices might slow or prevent the growth of cancer.

Apr 03, 2006 - "Business Wire",
Ovarian Cancer Study Demonstrates EVA(TM) Assay Applications for Targeted Therapies
Results of a study presented today at the 97th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) affirms the utility of ex-vivo analysis of programmed cell death in human tumor microspheroids as a means to guide clinical trial development. The study titled "Bortezomib combinations in ovarian cancer: Ex vivo analysis of activity and synergy in human tumor primary culture spheroids" (AACR # 2158) examines the activity of the novel proteasome inhibitor Bortezomib (Velcade(TM) by Millennium Pharmaceutical, Cambridge, MA) in combination with other drugs in ovarian cancer specimens.

Apr 03, 2006 - "Pittsburgh Tribune-Review", Pittsburgh, PA
Pitt researchers find test to detect ovarian cancer earlier
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute researchers said Sunday that they have identified a group of proteins that could detect ovarian cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage. Doctors now diagnose ovarian cancer using imaging methods such as ultrasound and by sampling suspicious tissue through biopsies. Institute geneticist Anna Lokshin has been searching for a reliable, less-invasive way to detect the cancer earlier, when it is most responsive to treatment, by looking for proteins in the blood that signal onset of the disease.

Apr 03, 2006 - " RxPG News",
Fibrasorb - New device that could cut chemotherapy deaths
"Although the first study will be on patients with ovarian cancer, soon we hope that other cancer sufferers with solid tumours will benefit."
A new method of delivering chemotherapy to cancer patients without incurring side effects such as hair loss and vomiting is being developed. The method, produced at the University of Bath, England, involves using tiny fibres and beads soaked in the chemotherapy drug which are then implanted into the cancerous area in the patient's body.

Apr 02, 2006 - "e Max Health", Hickory, NC
Multimarker Assay for Ovarian Cancer Most Promising to Date
The search for a specific protein that could help diagnose ovarian cancer in its early stages has for years eluded researchers who are seeking a reliable and accurate test for the disease. Instead of searching for a single protein, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine used a new technology to analyze a large number of proteins, or potential biomarkers, from a very small sample of serum from women with ovarian cancer.

Apr 02, 2006 - "Herald Standard", Uniontown, PA
Woman shares story of cancer diagnosis, treatment, aftermath
(Editor's note: This is the first of a three-part series on the overview of cancer, how people cope with it and health-care progress made for the first time in 70 years.)
Three years ago, Gail Valente loved life, as she enjoyed her new grandchildren and felt she was pretty healthy as she bore down on the big 5-0. But Valente's outlook took a severe blow in late July 2003. "I went in for a routine gynecological exam on July 30, 2003, and they found a problem," Valente said, her eyes beginning to water. "I'm sorry, but I get emotional. They thought it was an ovarian cyst and operated, but it was actually colon cancer. It was stage four and it was very far advanced. I was thinking I was going to have a hysterectomy, and I ended up with a colostomy bag and on chemo."

Apr 02, 2006 - "NineMSN", AU
Vic institute trials new cancer vaccine
A new "super institute" created by merging two key Victorian medical research bodies has announced a new treatment for some cancers. The new centre emerging from the merger of the Austin Research Institute and Burnet Institute has already begun trialling a novel vaccine to treat ovarian cancer, Burnet Institute director Steve Wesselingh said.

Apr 02, 2006 - "Boston Herald", Boston MA
Pumped-up shoe fashion show deserves standing Ovations
Fashion has long supported the fight against breast cancer and, as of late, heart disease. But ovarian cancer, one of the deadliest afflictions to strike women and among the hardest to detect, hasn’t shared much of the spotlight - until now. One brave shopaholic and her group of shoe-loving girlfriends have decided to raise the stiletto for ovarian cancer. “We’re starting the foundation Ovations for a Cure to do something to get the awareness out there,” said Ovations founder Patti Franchi Flaherty.

Apr 01, 2006 - "TC Palm", Fort Pierce, FL
Relay for Life offers hope in cancer fight
It was the best and worst of times for Denise Aiello. Five years ago, the Vero Beach woman and her husband, Anthony, had their second son, John. During the delivery by planned Cesarean section, doctors found ovarian cancer. "My first thought was, 'Was John OK? Does he have cancer?' " Aiello said. "I was very concerned about him, because the cancer was right there."