With a survival rate of only 44%, ovarian cancer remains the deadliest women’s cancer in Canada. While research breakthroughs have improved survival rates for other cancers, ovarian cancer has been overlooked, with devastating consequences for thousands of women and their families.

We are changing this. As the only national charity solely focused on ovarian cancer, we have leveraged Government of Canada funding to address decades of underinvestment and deliver meaningful change for women facing this disease.

A Unique, Collaborative Approach

Traditional systems for funding research can slow the scientific process, limiting the pace at which we make progress. Ovarian cancer, with its urgent need for breakthroughs, demands a different approach. Leveraging the initial funding by the Government of Canada, Ovarian Cancer Canada mobilized additional partners including provincial governments, research organizations and donors. Together, we united researchers, clinicians, and patients under a single, targeted research strategy. This collaborative model ensures resources are focused on the most promising opportunities,

In a few short years, this approach has increased the number of scientists and projects focused on ovarian cancer. Today, more than 85 researchers across 60+ projects are investigating potential new treatments, approaches to early detection and addressing real-world challenges in ovarian cancer care. By putting patients at the heart of this work and uniting the scientific community, Ovarian Cancer Canada is making progress faster than traditional research models ever could.

Making Up For Lost Time

The urgency of this work cannot be overstated. Ovarian cancer’s survival rate has not changed in 60 years.  Decades of underfunding has left too many questions unanswered and too many lives at risk.

Ovarian Cancer Canada is proving that a focused and well-funded effort can accelerate progress. “What excites me about supporting OCC is the speed at which progress is starting to happen,” says Julie, an ovarian cancer patient and member of our Patient Partners in Research program. “In just two years, I’ve seen research shift from exploratory ideas to more precise studies and clinical trials that are bringing us closer and closer to breakthroughs.”

Our collaborative research model is driving advancements that may have otherwise taken decades to achieve. We are making up for lost time and setting a new standard for how ovarian cancer research should be conducted.

The Price of Inaction

3,000 Canadian women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2024 – 56% of them will not see 2029. Women are paying the price for being overlooked with their lives. They deserve our attention.

As the only national health charity solely focused on ovarian cancer in Canada, no one else is in the position we are to be the changemakers women need. in Ovarian Cancer Canada ensures that ovarian cancer research no longer lags.