Friday, May 28, 2021

Ovarian Cancer: Updates to NCCN Guidelines


 NCCN, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, establishes and publishes guidelines to treating different cancers. In this video, OncLive specialists discuss the latest treatment guidelines. If you would like to download a pdf version of what the latest guidelines are, you can do so by following this link

Friday, May 21, 2021

Targeting Progesterone Signaling Prevents Metastatic Ovarian Cancer

 

A new study suggests that blocking progesterone may prevent ovarian cancer. The study, "Targeting Progesterone Signaling Prevents Metastatic Ovarian Cancer" was released in the journal PNAS.

This study is important to women who have the BRCA-1 mutation. Women with this mutation generally produce high levels of progesterone during their menstrual cycles. Targeting these women with an anti-progesterone medication may provide these high risk women with an alternative to prophylactic breast or ovarian surgery.

To find out more about this study, follow this link.
 

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Spiritual Approaches to Illness

 


Our spirit can lift us, bring hope and strength, especially when we are dealing with illness. Explore ways to open to spirit for wellbeing.

About this event

Dealing with illness challenges us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This impact brings about the need to draw upon our spirit to move through the questioning, More...

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

At Home Genetic Testing for Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk

 

How important is it to receive genetic counseling both before and after testing for risk factors? Can women skip these counseling sessions without adding undue stress on themselves?

This question plus determining the feasibility of doing remote testing are being examined in the Magenta (Making GENetic Testing Accessible) study of 4,000 women participating in all 50 states.

Given the lack of good screening tools for OC, some women, especially those in more rural areas, with strong family histories of breast or ovarian cancer may feel more empowered to make pro-active decisions about undergoing prophylactic surgery rather than live with the fear of possibly getting cancer. To find out more about study, follow this link.

Friday, May 7, 2021

Novel Vaccine Harnesses Tumor Cells to Stimulate Immune Response

 

BioVaxys, the company that has developed a vaccine to stimulate the immune system, is seeking permission for compassionate use for women with advanced OC in Europe. Additionally, the company has approached the regulatory health agencies in the US and Europe to begin clinical trials in the upcoming months.

BVX-0918A, the vaccine, uses the patient's own cancer cells to make them more recognizable to the body's defense system. Specifically, the vaccine would make the cancer cell more visible for cancer-killing T-cells. BioVaxys is also planning to combine their vaccine with checkpoint inhibitors, another class of cancer medication, that block certain proteins from shutting down the body's immune response. Cancer cells hijack this natural function in the body and therefore hide from the immune system.

To read more about this fascinating research, follow this link.

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Immunotherapy GEN-1Given Fast Track Approval

The FDA announced approval to fast track a novel immunotherapy treatment for advanced ovarian cancer.

The drug, GEN-1, is a non-viral particle that stimulates the production of interleukin-12 to the tumor site. This protein stimulates the immune system to target the tumor. 

The trial successfully completed Phase 1 (Ovation-1) which combined standard chemo with GEN-1 in newly diagnosed women prior to surgery. That study showed that women had a partial or complete reduction in tumor burden compared with women who received the lowest doses. In addition, 88% of these women had complete surgical resection - meaning that they had clean margins, free of any microscopic evidence of cancer. Those women who received both GEN-1 and chemo lived twice as long as those who only received chemo. Because the sample size was too small, the results were not clinically significant.

To find out more about this Phase 1/2 study, you can follow this link that will take you to the Clinical Trials page. To read the article about this study, follow this link.