Among the different gynecologic cancers, ovarian cancer kills the most women every year. The main reason for this is because, more often than not, the diagnosis of this type of cancer is made during the later stages of the disease when the cancer has metastasized to the rest of the pelvic region. In fact, only 20% of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed in the early stages. Advances in medical technology have already increased the lifespan of women with late-stage ovarian cancer; however, the long term solution for this problem is to understand what causes this form of cancer and develop better and more accurate testing methods in order to diagnose the disease as early as possible.

The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund was founded in 1994 originally as the Ann Schreiber Ovarian Cancer Research Fund in memory of Ann Schreiber who lost her battle with ovarian cancer that same year. Schreiber was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer of the ovaries in 1989 and she fought her disease valiantly as she did not let her cancer affect her daily life. When things turned for the worst, however, she stayed in the hospital for long periods of time and that’s where her husband Sol met other patients and their families and realized just how little people know about the disease. Ann and Sol wanted to change that and with the help of Ann’s doctor and several close friends, Sol founded OCRF three months after his wife’s death.

The OCRF is a non-profit organization that provides grants to research and medical professionals who are trying to understand ovarian cancer better in order to find more effective ways to prevent, treat, and possibly even cure the disease. In 2012, the foundation also launched a project called Woman to Woman where ovarian cancer patients at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York are paired with survivors who have already undergone the same treatment they’re going through to provide much needed support and encouragement.