Ovarian SPOREs

Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynecological cancer in women, but ranks first (above endometrial cancer) in cancer deaths. Approximately 21,990 new ovarian cancers will be diagnosed in the United States in 2011 and about 15,460 women will die from this disease. The high mortality rate stems from an overall lack of early symptoms or screening methods for the disease. As a result, most ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed with advanced stage disease. Women with a family history of either breast, ovarian, or non-polyposis colon cancer are at an increased risk for developing ovarian cancer. The Ovarian Cancer SPORE program was initiated in 1999 with the funding of four sites. The relatively low incidence of this disease (as compared to other cancers, such as breast cancer), as well as the team concept of the SPORE program, has resulted in a number of Inter-SPORE activities aimed at developing much needed early detection, screening, prevention, and therapeutic tools for ovarian cancer. These supplemental activities are being performed in collaboration with a number of other NCI programs, including the Early Detection Research Network (EDRN), the Division of Cancer Prevention's Prostate, Lung, Colon, and Ovarian Cancer (PLCO) Screening Trial and the NCI Intramural Program.