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Call for grants

now accepting proposals from nonprofits supporting the ovarian cancer community

Apply For A Grant Today

GSK/TESARO is proud to announce that, with your help, we have reached our donation goal of $222,000! Thank you for supporting our mission of acknowledging each of the 222,000 women and their families impacted by ovarian cancer in the United States.1 These funds will be distributed to organizations that support the ovarian cancer community every day. Click above to learn more and find out how you can submit a grant proposal.

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About the Movement

Not On My Watch: a Call for Change in Ovarian Cancer Care

Not on My Watch is a movement that seeks to empower women with ovarian cancer who have had a recurrence(s) and responded to chemotherapy to no longer "watch and wait" for their disease to return. Instead, they and their loved ones can take an informed and active role in extending the time in response and delay recurrence by talking with their healthcare providers about maintenance therapy.

Meet THE Women Who Declared "Not On My Watch!"

Image of Karen

A retired nurse and published author, Karen believes that with information, love, and purpose, we can get through any challenge — even ovarian cancer.

Image of Nancy

Nancy says that cancer messed with the wrong girl. Her actions prove it. It’s a philosophy she lives by every day.

Image of Yesi

Yesi reaches out to her “Teal Sisters” on social media, inspiring them to gain strength to fight ovarian cancer together.

Why Maintenance Therapy

Recurrence Is Common

Image showing that nearly 85% of women with advanced ovarian cancer will see the disease return in their lifetime

In 2018, more than 22,000 women have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer2—a disease that affects approximately 222,000 women in the US.1 Sadly, even with therapy, many women will experience a high rate of recurrence due to the fact that the disease is often diagnosed at a later stage.4,5 In fact, nearly 85% of women with advanced ovarian cancer will see the cancer return in their lifetime3—an outlook that produces additional anxiety, worry, and uncertainty.6

Once ovarian cancer recurs, it’s often incurable.3 With each recurrence, the time a woman may spend without her cancer progressing until the next recurrence gets shorter.7 Until recently, women with ovarian cancer who recurred and responded to their chemotherapy treatment had limited options, most commonly, entering into a “watch and wait,” or observation period until the cancer came back again. Fortunately, women now have more choices.8

Today, Women with Recurrent Ovarian Cancer Have Options

Image of a woman's reproductive system

maintenance therapies can extend time in response and delay recurrence8

Image of a person with abdominal pain

There have been important therapeutic advances for women with recurrence(s) and those whose disease has either fully or partially responded to platinum-based chemotherapy.9 These therapies, known as maintenance therapies, can help extend the time in response and delay recurrence for women, regardless of biomarker status.8

MAINTENANCE THERAPIES HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO DELAY RECURRENCE

Image depicting disease return in 4-6 months for patients with no maintenance therapy compared to 21 months in certain patient groups that received maintenance therapies. Maintenance has been shown to provide a median progression free survival period of 7-21 months depending on biomarker status.

Studies show that women with recurrent disease who were prescribed a maintenance therapy lived longer without their disease progressing, compared to “watch and wait”.10,11,13

Women saw their disease return between 4 and 6 months with “watch and wait”10,11 compared to a median* of 21 months in certain patient groups that received maintenance therapies.†11-13

*The middle number in a set of data, also called the midpoint. It means that half of the numbers are greater than the median and half are less.
†Maintenance therapy has been shown to provide a median progression-free survival period of 7-21 months, depending on biomarker status.

Discover Maintenance Therapy

Maintenance options include an infusion and oral therapies. If you or a loved one has recurrent ovarian cancer, speak with your healthcare provider to see if oral maintenance therapy is an option for you.

Learn more about
a treatment option

References

  1. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Cancer Stat Facts: Ovarian Cancer. National Cancer Institute website. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/ovary.html. Updated 2018. Accessed September 20, 2018.
  2. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2018. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2018/cancer-facts-and-figures-2018.pdf. Accessed September 10, 2018.
  3. Lorusso D, Mancini M, Di Rocco R, Fontanelli R, Raspagliesi F. The role of secondary surgery in recurrent ovarian cancer. Int J Surg Oncol. 2012;2012:613980. doi:10.1155/2012/613980.
  4. Schulman-Green D, Bradley EH, Nicholson NR, George E, Indeck A, McCorkle R. One step at a time: self-management and transitions among women with ovarian cancer. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2012;39(4):354-360.
  5. Recurrence. Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance website. https://ocrfa.org/patients/about-ovarian-cancer/recurrence/. Accessed September 24, 2018.
  6. Ferrell B, Smith SL, Cullinane CA, Melancon C. Psychological well being and quality of life in ovarian cancer survivors. Cancer. 2003;98(5):1061-1071.
  7. Luvero D, Milani A, Ledermann JA. Treatment options in recurrent ovarian cancer: latest evidence and clinical potential. Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2014;6(5):229-239.
  8. Khalique S, Hook JM, Ledermann JA. Maintenance therapy in ovarian cancer. Curr Opin Oncol. 2014;26(5):521-528.
  9. Moore KN, Mirza MR, Matulonis UA. The poly (ADP ribose) polymerase inhibitor niraparib: Management of toxicities. Gynecol Oncol. 2018;149(1):214-220
  10. Ledermann J, Harter P, Gourley C, et al. Olaparib maintenance therapy in patients with platinum-sensitive relapsed serous ovarian cancer: a preplanned retrospective analysis of outcomes by BRCA status in a randomised phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2014;15(8):852-861.
  11. Pujade-Lauraine E, Ledermann JA, Selle F, et al; for the SOLO2/ENGOT-Ov21 investigators. Olaparib tablets as maintenance therapy in patients with platinum-sensitive, relapsed ovarian cancer and a BRCA1/2 mutation (SOLO2/ENGOT-Ov21): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2017;18(9):1274-1284.
  12. Coleman RL, Oza AM, Lorusso D, et al; ARIEL3 investigators. Rucaparib maintenance treatment for recurrent ovarian carcinoma after response to platinum therapy (ARIEL3): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2017;390(10106):1949-1961.
  13. Mirza MR, Monk BJ, Herrstedt J, et al; for the ENGOT-OV16/NOVA Investigators. Niraparib maintenance therapy in platinum-sensitive, recurrent ovarian cancer. N Engl J Med. 2016;375(22):2154-2164.