Resources for Women Diagnosed With Ovarian Cancer
- Whether you’ve been recently diagnosed, need help navigating treatment or want to connect with other survivors, there are several organizations that can help
- The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition provides resources to the newly diagnosed and assistance to those struggling throughout the treatment process
- The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, the largest global organization dedicated to the disease, offers a woman-to-woman program to connect survivors
- Other organizations — like CancerCare — connect survivors with oncology social workers
Below, SurvivorNet compiled a list of organizations that focus on raising awareness and providing support for women going through ovarian cancer.
Ovarian Cancer Resources
The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
Read MoreThe NOCC also provides helpful ovarian cancer support groups for newly diagnosed patients, raises money to provide food and mental health resources to survivors struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic, and provides support and helpful resources for cancer caregivers.
The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance
OCRA is the largest global organization dedicated to fighting ovarian cancer. The organization raises money to advance research, provides support to women and their families throughout the cancer journey — including with their woman-to-woman initiative for survivors — and works with all levels of government to make sure advancing research about the disease is a priority.
In a previous conversation, OCRA CEO and President Audra Moran, spoke to SurvivorNet about how much of a difference it can make for women living with ovarian cancer to connect with each other.
OCRA CEO and President Audra Moran shares some advice for recently diagnosed women.
"I would encourage anyone who has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer to find a buddy," Moran said. "If you want avail yourself of our Woman to Woman program, we have a virtual program; you can be paired with someone anywhere in the world. But if not, and you want a physical location, we can help with that. Or maybe there's just local organizations … it makes all the difference to have someone that's been through it."
RELATED: How Social Workers Can Help Navigate Treatment Costs
The Clearity Foundation
The Clearity Foundation works to provide women going through ovarian cancer with the latest information on treatment options, and also provides an online community for information and for women living with the disease to connect with each other.
For women facing advanced disease, the Foundation can help guide you to the most useful and comprehensive tests to better understand the molecular profile of your cancer — and guide you towards treatment or appropriate clinical trials.
Doug Wendt, who spoke to SurvivorNet about the resources available to women facing ovarian cancer after losing his wife to the disease, said discovering The Clearity Foundation was like a breath of fresh air when it came to getting help understanding the disease.
Doug Wendt shares the experience he and his wife had using The Clearity Foundation.
“They produced a report and then they worked with us and with our cancer doctors to help select the medicines or potentially clinical trials that might be best,” Wendt said.
“To see a commitment of serious investment in developing a very powerful resource for the cancer journey is extremely gratifying.”
CancerCare
National organization CancerCare connects ovarian cancer survivors with social workers, counselors and other survivors through phone, online or in-person meetings.
Their staff works with people across the U.S. who have 96 different types of cancer and offers counseling for people going through cancer and their families, case management services with oncology social workers, support groups for both survivors and their families, financial assistance or guidance and education workshops.
CancerCare social worker Lauren Chatalian discusses support options.
Lauren Chatalian, an oncology social worker with CancerCare, told SurvivorNet in a previous conversation that it’s crucial for patients to realize that resources are available for support during the cancer journey — and it’s important to reach out in any way you feel comfortable.
“There are other ways to find support, if you don’t have family or friends nearby, there are many options,” Chatalian said. “Continue to explore those.”
Learn More About Ovarian Cancer
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