Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Greater Pittsburgh

September was Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and now October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Let's share our support and help the journey to end breast cancer.

Every Making Strides event is a powerful and inspiring opportunity to unite as a community to honor breast cancer survivors, raise awareness about what we can do to stay well from breast cancer, and raise money to help the American Cancer Society fight the disease with breast cancer research, information and services, and access to mammograms for women who need them.

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An Evening With Bill Cosby

Bill Cosby will be speaking at the Teal Ribbon Comedy event this Thursday night! It is still National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, don't miss out on this great way to send some proceeds to ovarian cancer research.

What Everyone Needs To Know About Ovarian Cancer

News that the risks of ovarian cancer screening tests outweigh the benefits has some women wondering what they should do to prevent the deadly disease. According to the American Cancer Society, ovarian cancer strikes about 22,000 women annually, and kills more than 15,000. While the majority of cases occur in women between the ages of 50 and 75, younger women can be affected as well. Dr. Laura Havrilesky, a gynecologic oncologist with the Duke Cancer Institute, explains what the latest findings mean and what every woman should know.  

What do these recent screening recommendations mean?  

The latest report reiterates what previous studies have already shown. The screenings – a blood test that looks for a substance linked to cancer and an ultrasound scan of the ovaries – yield a high number of false-positives. That can lead to unnecessary surgeries, which can cause serious complications whether or not ovarian cancer is found. At this point, it has been determined that the harm associated with these screening tests outweigh the benefits when they are performed on women who are not at risk for ovarian cancer.  

How would I know if I am at risk?  

Family history is the major risk factor. If you have multiple family members with pre-menopausal breast cancer, meaning before the age of 50, or at least one first or second degree relative with ovarian cancer, you are at increased risk. If you have a genetic mutation in your family, you may also be at risk and you may want to consider talking to a genetic counselor to help determine if genetic testing might be right for you.

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The NOCC’s 12th annual “Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer” was held on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012, at the North Park Boathouse. The walk raises awareness, celebrates survivors and remembers those lost. All proceeds go towards education, awareness and quality of life programs.
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Spreading Awareness... Through Dinosaurs!

The Dinosaur Carnegie Library in Oakland is ready for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month! If you haven't heard about it yet, September is the month where we take some time to spread awareness of ovarian cancer warning signs, symptoms, and stories of those who have suffered both. Get involved now!

You can follow Dippy the Dino on his official Twitter handle:

@Dippy_the_Dino

Yinz seen my teal scarf? The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) has dressed me up as Sept. is Nat'l Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

The Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition will hold its 12th Annual “Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer” on Sunday, September 9, at the North Park Boathouse to raise awareness of ovarian cancer, celebrate ovarian cancer survivors, and remember those lost to the disease. All walk proceeds fund education and awareness as well as quality of life programs on both a local and national level. Over 3,500 people are expected to attend the walk. 

“The Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer brings the community together to demonstrate that ovarian cancer is more than a woman’s disease,” said Mary Urban, Pittsburgh Chapter Manager. “We see family, friends, co-workers and the medical community gathering at the Walk to honor of the women in their lives who suffered from ovarian cancer. The Walk also serves as an opportunity for all who attend to learn how to be their own health advocate.” 

Event day festivities include family friendly activities such as face painting, arts and crafts, cookie decorating and games. Survivors and women in treatment for ovarian cancer will enjoy a special continental breakfast and free raffle. The walk is also dog friendly with the return of the Canine Corner to promote stress reduction, companionship and compassion. Health and wellness experts will be available for screenings and questions. Family and friends can bring a photo of a loved one lost to this disease to display on the Wall of Courage at the Memory Tent. Handcrafted wares made by local artists will be sold on site in addition to silent and Chinese auctions with proceeds going to NOCC.

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Blood Test for Detecting Ovarian Cancer Shows Promise

Diagnostics company Vermillion INC said a clinical trial of its blood test for detecting ovarian cancer showed the test had a high chance of correctly identifying patients with cancer.

Shares of the company jumped 21 percent to $2.17 on the news. The study, named OVA1, is a blood test for pre-surgical assessment of ovarian tumors for malignancy. The study focused on two particularly challenging subgroups - women with early-stage ovarian cancer and pre-menopausal women.

"A key goal of the study was to investigate the challenging pre-menopausal setting, where benign cysts have a high incidence and early-stage cancer often goes undetected," Chief Executive Gail Pagesaid.

The test had a 94 percent sensitivity in the pre-menopausal group, and a 91 percent sensitivity in the early-stage ovarian cancer group. A diagnostic test's sensitivity refers to its ability to correctly identify those who are actually affected by the disease. Overall, the test showed a 96 percent sensitivity. OVA1 also had a low chance of mistakenly classifying a sick person as healthy.

Article courtesy of: http://news.yahoo.com/vermillion-ovarian-cancer-test-shows-positive-result-141747032--finance.html