New Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Research Act ...( Funding Research and National Trials...),Health

Funding, Research and National Trials Crucial in the Fight Against Women's

Cancers

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Research Act of 2007 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, Sept. 27 and the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists (SGO), the leader of four organizations integral in drafting this legislation, is issuing a "call to action" for ovarian cancer survivors, their families, and their physicians.

Introduced by Congressmen Howard L. Berman (D-CA) and Ralph M. Hall (D-TX), the Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Research Act would authorize the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to make grants to public or non-profit entities for the establishment of research centers focused on ovarian cancer biomarkers. Biomarkers are the biochemical features within the body that can be used to determine the presence and population of cancerous cells, predict response to therapy, and determine ultimate prognosis. Additionally, the Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Research Act will also establish a national clinical trial to determine the clinical utility of ovarian cancer biomarkers in diagnosing or preventing ovarian cancer in at-risk women.

SGO, which is the professional organization for gynecologic oncologists, specialists in women's cancers, collaborated with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) to spearhead the development of the Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Research Act in order to secure dedicated support for ovarian cancer biomarkers research. Currently, a widely accepted or effective screening test for ovarian cancer is not available -- making the disease difficult to diagnose.

"Early diagnosis is critical," said Beth Karlan, MD, Director of the Cedars-Sinai Women's Cancer Research Institute at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute and an expert in
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