Dear friends,
As many of you know, my mom, Kelly, passed away after over twelve years of battling stage IV ovarian cancer. Her remarkable long-term survival defied the odds.
Ovarian cancer presents women with an uneven playing field. There is no way to screen for this disease and symptoms often mimic gastrointestinal problems, leading to tests that usually fail to make a diagnosis. The pap smear is almost always negative, and a pelvic examination can fail to indicate any abnormality.
It took my mom six months to receive a diagnosis after reporting abdominal pain. When she was diagnosed on 11/11/2011, thirteen years ago today, she was already stage IV, needed extensive surgery, and would ultimately endure numerous rounds of chemotherapy. The cure rate for tumors discovered in stage I exceeds 90%. Sadly, almost all women are diagnosed in late stages, when the five-year survival rate is less than 20%, and the recurrence rate is over 80%.
Despite affecting 1 in 78 women, ovarian cancer receives less attention and funding compared to other cancers. As a result, there is currently no pap smear or mammogram equivalent for ovarian cancer that can detect the disease in its early stages.
Dr. Benedict Benigno, my mom’s former (and favorite) oncologist, and the Ovarian Cancer Institute’s research team have developed a simple blood test capable of detecting early-stage ovarian cancer with nearly 100% accuracy. This groundbreaking test requires only a single drop of blood and will be as affordable as a pap smear. Dr. Benigno’s team desperately needs funding to continue to the next phases of testing and to expedite FDA approval for their diagnostic tool. In addition, the research team is working on new treatment forms that show promise in being more efficacious, less toxic, and more personalized for each patient.
Please consider donating in Kelly’s honor or sharing this message to spread awareness of the Ovarian Cancer Institute’s efforts.
Learn more about the Ovarian Cancer Institute on their website and scroll down to see a video Kelly helped make to spread awareness.
Love,
Laura (Spratling) Kluger
Click here to watch Kelly talk about the Ovarian Cancer Institute
