Cedars Run for Ovarian Cancer: An Event To Celebrate, Remember And Support The ‘silent killer’ Fighters Everywhere

MONTREAL, QC /ACCESSWIRE/ October 07, 2021 / DOvEEgene – Cedars Cancer Foundation Chair Dominique Dagenais knows how difficult a diagnosis of ovarian cancer can be. In 2015, she was completely caught off guard when she was diagnosed with stage 3 of the disease.
“When they told me I had ovarian cancer, I said: ‘How is it possible? Ovarian cancer is something that most people don’t know much about. I didn’t pay attention to my symptoms”, says Dagenais.

The symptoms associated with ovarian cancer are vague and often mistaken for other conditions, particularly issues that affect the gastrointestinal system, or simply changes in a woman’s body as she ages, such as bloating and increased urinary frequency.

I had some symptoms, such as a little bit of nausea. But who had never had nausea?”

Before her diagnosis, she was incredibly active, having completed 13 marathons.

Stories like Dagenais’ inspire Dr. Lucy Gilbert, Director of the McGill University Health Centre Division of Gynecologic Oncology, to dedicate her career since 2008 to fight this silent killer.

“There has been no improvement in the cure rate of ovarian cancer in 30 years, and this is unacceptable. If you look at a cell phone or computer from 30 years ago, today’s versions are tremendously different. The investment in these devices needs to be also allocated to treat women’s cancers. Early detection of ovarian cancer can save many women’s lives”, says Dr. Gilbert.

To change that, Dr. Gilbert and her team designed a genomic uterine pap test that uses a panel of mutated genes associated with endometrial and ovarian cancer, along with a machine learning algorithm to predict cancer in these women. The goal is to create a highly sensitive screening tool with a very low false positive rate in order to detect ovarian and endometrial cancers in their early stages. Their goal is to make the DOvEEgene test a routine part of women’s health, just like the pap smear.

To support the study, and help Dr. Gilbert make the DOvEEgene test a routine screening tool available to all eligible women, the Cedars Cancer Foundation is promoting its 6th Annual Run/Walk for Ovarian Cancer. Families are welcome to walk or run and raise funds against ovarian and endometrial cancer.

To learn more about the event, join the race and support the DOvEEgene study, visit: http://give.cedars.ca/site/TR/Events/OvarianRun2021

About Cedars Cancer Foundation

The Foundation started 50 years ago as an initiative launched by individuals, and it has grown to become one of the funding arm of the MUHC’s fight against cancer. It develops and leverages innovative approaches to meet patients’ and families’ emotional, psychosocial, physical and spiritual needs.

About DOvEEgene

The DOvEEgene test was developed by Dr. Lucy Gilbert and a team of dedicated Canadian doctors, professors, and researchers to increase the early detection of women diagnosed with ovarian and endometrial cancers in hopes of improving prognosis. This is the third and last phase of the DOvEE project, which started in 2008 and has helped thousands of women to recognize ovarian and endometrial cancer symptoms.