It takes radical collaboration to help end ovarian cancer
The Intercepting Ovarian Cancer collaboration encourages the free flow of information in real time. Our goal is to create a world free of ovarian cancer. The “TeamLab” approach involves world-renowned researchers and physicians from five of the top cancer programs in the world sharing valuable data for the greater good.
Our 3 core aims are to:
Improve
Improve our understanding of how pre-cancer starts in the fallopian tubes.
Streamline
Streamline the diagnosis of fallopian tube pre-cancers and enable their study in the laboratory.
Educate
Educate healthcare professionals and patients to discuss bilateral salpingectomy as a way to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.
The experts agree
About a decade ago, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) recommended bilateral salpingectomy for ovarian cancer prevention for women who are not known to be high risk – due to genetics or family history – during hysterectomy, pelvic surgery, or instead of tubal ligation. Unfortunately, there has been low uptake of bilateral salpingectomy as a cancer preventive intervention beyond hysterectomy. Without working together to expand bilateral salpingectomy to all eligible people, thousands will continue to face late-stage diagnosis, painful treatment and death every year.
That’s where we come in.
Stopping ovarian cancer is our life's work
In 2021, the innovative organization—Break Through Cancer—awarded a $25 million grant to five outstanding cancer centers. This groundbreaking collaboration formed Intercepting Ovarian Cancer:
Meet the team
Intercepting Ovarian Cancer plans on progress
Our major goals are to help prevent ovarian cancer for patients who face a 1-2% lifetime risk for developing ovarian cancer and to diagnose and intercept ovarian cancer at its earliest stages. Here’s how:
The Intercepting Ovarian Cancer Initiative: Our Vision
Establishing Bilateral Salpingectomy as Standard of Care
- Support the removal of fallopian tubes to prevent ovarian cancer during abdominal surgery
- For women who are done having children and already having elective abdominal surgeries
- Educate people on bilateral salpingectomy as an alternative to tubal ligation for birth control
Increasing Awareness
- Spread the word about the discovery that most ovarian cancer starts in the fallopian tube. It takes tubes!
- Help establish bilateral salpingectomy as a key approach to reducing the risk of ovarian cancer
Partnering
- Educate surgeons who perform procedures in the abdomen and pelvis about bilateral salpingectomy
- Create national guidelines for ovarian cancer prevention
Expanding Access
- Increase availability of bilateral salpingectomy to the many women having elective abdominal surgery every year
- Advocate for universal insurance coverage for bilateral salpingectomy
Improving Understanding
- Create a national registry of people who are interested in—or who have had—bilateral salpingectomy
- Uncover how pre-cancer starts in the fallopian tubes
Creating New Approaches
- Develop new techniques for the diagnosis of pre-cancer lesions in the fallopian tubes—also known as serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC)
- Develop new biomarkers
- Validate early detection and screening methods
- Develop cutting-edge technologies to identify and analyze precancers