A message from the CEO
What if you were told that you had no time at all? This is the reality for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer, but it shouldn’t be.
Three-quarters of patients are diagnosed at stage 3 or 4. Recurrence rates are high, up to 95%, and survival rates haven’t improved in 50 years. Ovarian cancer remains the most fatal gynecological cancer, yet investment in research has lagged well behind that of other cancers such as breast cancer.
Ovarian cancer has been overlooked, under-funded, and under-researched for decades. The consequences are deadly. The time for change is now.
At Ovarian Cancer Canada our mission is clear: to boldly and unapologetically take action against ovarian cancer until the number of deaths from this disease are zero.
To revolutionize the landscape of ovarian cancer treatment and outcomes, we are focusing on action, advocacy, research, and results. We are committed to pushing boundaries, challenging assumptions, and finding innovative solutions. But we cannot do this alone.
You can demand better for women in Canada by funding vital research.
Ovarian cancer is a unique disease, it is not just one disease, it is a group of diseases. There’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach to treatment or research. And that’s one of the many reasons we take a unique approach. Unlike other institutions, OCC’s researchers are collaborative, and innovative. They’re convening a whole community around this much-needed research.
Previous research has overlooked the rarer forms of ovarian cancer, limiting progress and discounting lives. OCC is working relentlessly to tackle the major challenges stalling breakthroughs, unveil inequities throughout care and research, and improve outcomes for anyone diagnosed.
We are:
- Working to reduce incidence of ovarian cancer by understanding risk and prevention in an effective, powerful way;
- Investing in better ways to detect all types of ovarian cancer early enough to impact outcomes, with innovation and collaboration across disciplines;
- Ensuring patients have self-advocacy tools and knowledge to take control of their healthcare;
- Advancing treatments, focusing on how we can make medicine more precise through understanding more about each type of ovarian cancer and how to treat it while maintaining quality of life
At OCC, we elevate the voice of the ovarian cancer community by integrating patients who have lived experience. We believe clinical inquiry can be enhanced by the unique perspectives of those affected by this disease. Our Patient Partners in Research program consists of over 20 women from across the country.
Together, we are accelerating the pace of scientific advancement like never before, because there is no time to waste – lives depend on it.
Research is a continuum, with one discovery leading to another. But, if we stop now, the progress that we have made so far will be lost, and lives will continue to be lost. I won’t let that happen.
We need you to stand with the ovarian cancer community in Canada and fuel this critical progress. Every dollar donated to OCC is put to work immediately and effectively. Funds will make ovarian cancer unignorable and fill the critical gap in ovarian cancer research.
In the face of adversity, we will not rest. Through research breakthroughs and scientific advancements, we’re delivering real change. Women are our reason, and we demand action.
Thank you for standing with the OCC community. Your support and confidence in our work is vital to our success.
Sincerely,
Tania Vrionis
CEO, Ovarian Cancer Canada