Foundation for Women's Cancer Weekend November 5-6, 2016
On November 5, The 2016 Ovarian Cancer Survivors Course, sponsored by the Foundation for Women’s Cancer, returns to our area offering the latest news in treatment and research from a distinguished group of gynecologic oncologists. Registration and location for this FREE all day (9:00-4:00)will be available at least 30 days prior to the course date at https://www.foundationforwomenscancer.org.
And on Sunday morning, November 6, join Team Rhonda’s Club for the 7th Annual Race to End Women’s Cancer at Freedom Plaza (Pennsylvania Avenue), a 5K run/1mile walk at Freedom Plaza, 1455 Pennsylvania Ave, NW to raise awareness and crucial education and research funding for gynecologic cancers. Join “Team Rhonda’s Club” at www.endwomenscancer.org. The Foundation for Women’s Cancer offers gynecologic cancer patient education resources on their website (https://www.foundationforwomenscancer.org), and the following patient video on “Understanding Ovarian Cancer”…
Also on Saturday, November 5 the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance hosts Ovarian Cycle, an indoor cycling event dedicated to raising funds to support OCRFA's ovarian cancer research and support programs. The event will consist of four one-hour rides at Vida Fitness Navy Yard, 1:00 – 5:00 pm. For more information visit: ovariancycledc.org.
A Radioshow for Cancer Patients
Listen to "Frankly Speaking About Cancer" every Tuesday at 4pm eastern time (1pm pacific time). The host is Kim Thiboldeaux, President and CEO of the Cancer Support Community, stives to empower her listeners to live well with cancer. Click here to visit the website. You can also find past episodes available for listening
OGCC/RHONDA'S CLUB ACTIVITIES
Rhonda’s Club Donates to Washington Cancer Institute
JoAnn Symons (middle), chair of the Ovarian and Gynecologic Cancer Coalition/Rhonda’s Club, and Clare Donelan, (right), treasurer of the organization, present a check for $2,500 to Beverly Lyles, Senior Philanthropy Officer at the Washington Hospital Center Foundation. “Rhonda’s Club is pleased to join with the Washington Cancer Institute to ease the financial needs of women in treatment for gynecologic cancers,” said Symons.
Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng Helps Rhonda’s Club Raise Awareness
On Sunday, August 2, Rhonda’s Club was pleased to welcome Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng, an educator at the University of Hawaii and sister of President Barack Obama, to a reception and book signing at Busboys and Poets. Dr. Soetoro-Ng talked to more than one hundred guests about her late mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, and her struggle with ovarian cancer. She shared the life lessons learned from her mother in a children’s book, A Ladder to the Moon. We appreciate Dr. Soetoro-Ng’s commitment to raising awareness of ovarian cancer in our community.
President Obama Issues Proclamation for National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
President Barack Obama honored women diagnosed with ovarian cancer and their families and urged more research into prevention, detection and treatment of the disease in a White House proclamation commemorating September as National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. The issue is personal for the President; his mother, Ann Dunham, died of ovarian cancer in 1995. Read the full statement here.
The New York Times reported on a study from the Journal of Clincial Oncology on the underuse of intraperitoneal (IP) treatment for ovarian cancer. Read the article here.
On March 18, the Society of Gynecologic Oncology SGO) reported the following Women's Cancer News.
ChemoFx® provides invaluable information to physicians choosing from 20 equivalent treatment recommendations without prior knowledge of how individual ovarian cancer patients may respond. ChemoFx determines platinum resistance in primary ovarian cancer and demonstrates longer overall survival by 14 months in recurrent ovarian cancer, making it instrumental in improving patient outcomes.
Long-term findings from two randomized trials demonstrated that intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy significantly improved survival compared with intravenous (IV) therapy. The combined analysis of the GOG-172 and GOG-114 trials showed that patients treated with IP chemotherapy experienced a 16% reduction in the risk of progression compared with IV therapy. Additionally, IP chemotherapy led to a median overall survival (OS) of 62 months compared with 51 months for IV therapy.
November 14, 2014, the Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of Genentech’s Avastin (bevacizumab) in combination with chemotherapy for women with platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer. The approval was based on the results of a Phase III clinical trial which showed women who received Avastin with chemotherapy had a 62% improvement in progression free survival (disease worsening) as compared to those who received chemotherapy alone.
The combination of the antiangiogenesis drug bevacizumab and the vascular-disrupting agent fosbretabulin is superior to bevacizumab alone in the treatment of recurrent ovarian, tubal, and peritoneal cancer, according to an oral presentation made at the biennial meeting of the International Gynecologic Cancer Society. A study found significant improvement in progression-free survival among patients treated with the combination of bevacizumab and fosbretabulin versus bevacizumab alone, with a median improvement of 2.5 months.
Amgen Inc said its experimental ovarian cancer drug did not show statistically significant improvement in overall survival rate in a late-stage trial. Patients given the drug, trebananib, along with a chemotherapy agent paclitaxel, experienced overall survival of 19.3 months, compared with 18.3 months for the placebo group. Analysts said oncologists expect the drug to have little or no benefits in terms of overall survival and FDA approval seems unlikely.
GENERAL DISCLAIMER The Ovarian and Gynecologic Cancer Coalition/Rhonda’s Club website is designed for informational purposes only and should not take the place of medical advice or professional services from licensed practitioners. If you suspect you may have or have been diagnosed with a health problem, you should consult your health care provider promptly.
