WHAT WE'RE WORKING FOR

Late detection of ovarian cancer and childhood illiteracy have one thing in common: They are preventable.

That's where your donations come in.

Ovarian cancer is treatable and has a high survival rate, but only if it's caught early.

Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women, despite being the 11th most common cancer in women. This is because early detection is key.

"If ovarian cancer is found (and treated) before the cancer has spread outside the ovary, the 5-year relative survival rate is 92%. However, only 15% of all ovarian cancers are found at this early stage."
—American Cancer Society

Most women don't know that they are developing the cancer because the symptoms are so similar to many benign conditions.

The acronym BEAT can help remind you and your loved ones of ovarian cancer symptoms:

B – is for BLOATING it’s persistent and doesn’t come and go

E – is for EATING difficulty eating and feeling full more quickly

A – is for ABDOMINAL and pelvic pain you feel most days

T – is for TOILET  changes in urination or bowel habits

By supporting education initiatives and research, we can help women detect this disease early and get them the treatment they need.

Because we know that early detection exponentially increases a woman's survival rate, the AKR Foundation focuses on early detection research and awareness about the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer. Among the AKR Foundation’s programs and efforts, we are proud to have provided groundbreaking grant funding for ovarian cancer early detection research through the Foundation for Women's Cancer (FWC) as well as at Dr. Ernest Lengyel’s Ovarian Cancer Laboratory at the University of Chicago.

Learn more about the AKR Foundation’s research grants below.

OVARIAN CANCER EARLY DETECTION RESEARCH AWARDS 2020-2024

• 2020 AWARD

  • Rebecca Porter MD, PhD of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Dr. Rebecca Porter’s study, Satellite Repeat RNAs as Novel Biomarkers in HGSOC (High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer), explored a novel type of diagnostic biomarker to allow for earlier detection of ovarian cancer. Dr. Porter explained the impact of the AKRF grant on her career and work:

For early career investigators, one of the barriers to securing career development and larger grant funding is the ability to generate sufficient preliminary data – specifically, acquiring the funds to perform the work. Funding from foundations like the Amy Krouse Rosenthal Foundation (AKRF) is absolutely critical in launching pilot projects or proof of concept studies to provide that data required to publish the work and be awarded longer-term grant funding.  

The AKRF Early Detection Grant was instrumental in allowing me to expand the work I had initiated on non-coding RNAs as a post-doctoral trainee to biomarker and early detection studies as an independent investigator. The data generated with this grant also led to a high-profile publication that has been instrumental in helping to secure additional funding and career development awards. I am extremely grateful to the AKRF for their generosity!  

• 2021AWARDS

  • Sara Corvigno, MD, PhD of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenteR

Dr. Sara Corvigno’s study, Early detection of high-grade serous ovarian cancer via metabolic analysis of circulating platelets, explores a novel type of blood testing that looks at changes in platelets from women with ovarian cancer. Circulating platelets grow in number during cancer development and participate in the tumor metastatic process, undergoing well-characterized physical changes. Dr. Corvigno’s research examines platelets from ovarian cancer patients, using a technique called nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Study findings were published, Spatially Resolved Transcriptomics of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma.

• Xiao Yue (Mona) Guo, MD of the University of Southern California

Dr. Mona Guo’s study, Early diagnosis of ovarian cancer utilizing epigenetic changes in cell-free DNA, seeks to validate a highly sensitive and specific liquid biopsy test for the diagnosis of ovarian cancer in a patient presenting with a pelvic mass by using tumor-derived cell-free (cf)DNA methylation in plasma. Of the biomarkers currently available, CA125 is the most widely used but has a high false positive rate since many other conditions cause elevations (such as ovarian cysts, fibroids, endometriosis, and other cancers). Several advantages exist to utilizing aberrant DNA methylation over other molecular markers including certain methylation changes occurring early in tumorigenesis and tissue- and cancer-type specificity of methylation alterations. The development and implementation of a liquid biopsy assay fills a clinical void of not being able to distinguish benign from malignant pelvic masses preoperatively. The research aims to provide the basis for a CLIA and FDA approved diagnostic test kit for ovarian cancer, thereby changing and improving ovarian cancer screening and diagnosis.

• 2022 AWARD

  • Thing Rinda Soong’s, MD, PhD, MPH of the University of Pittsburgh

Dr. Thing Rinda Soong’s study elucidates the relationship between host immunity and the progression of early serous proliferations in the oviducts as cancer precursors, and provide critical data that have implications for high-grade serous carcinoma early detection and risk stratification in high-risk women. The study draws on support from ongoing collaborations with a multidisciplinary team of pathologists, immunologists and oncologists who have rich experiences in studying the premalignant lesions as well as the local microenvironment of ovarian HGSC. The study improves our understanding of this lethal disease and open doors to new research possibilities.

• 2023& 2024 AWARD

  • Rahul Krishnan, MD, of the University of Chicago

Dr. Rahul Krishnan’s study, The Evolution of Serous Tubal Intraepithelial Carcinoma, seeks to understand the origins of ovarian cancer. The study uses spatial proteomics and transcriptomics technology to investigate how normal fallopian tube cells transform into pre-cancerous cells and ultimately, into cancer cells. The study leverages the expertise of gynecologic oncologists, pathologists, biochemists, cell biologists and bioinformaticians to answer these complex questions. Given that most ovarian cancers are detected at an advanced stage, the study aims to translate its findings into earlier detection, prevention and treatment strategies for this lethal disease.

With the aid of our funding, Dr. Krishnan and his team have characterized the activity of over 9500 genes in fallopian tubes, pre-cancerous cells and ovarian cancer. The study has also identified over 6000 genes in the surrounding supportive cells, providing a detailed look into the tumor environment, and providing critical information for advancing earlier detection, prevention, and treatment strategies. Significantly, the work has led to the investigation of a target gene, biglycan (BGN), which appears more active in precancerous and cancer cells than normal cells. Early in-vitro experiments have shown that increased BGN activity can lead normal fallopian tube cells to act similarly to cancer cells. Further research leads toward an early detection test for these active precancerous genes.

“The support from the AKR Foundation has been pivotal. For young investigators like myself, it allows the chance to not just engage in exciting research today, but lays the crucial groundwork for building a career in research.” – Dr. Rahul Krishnan

• RESEARCH AT THE OVARIAN CANCER LABORATORY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

Ernst Lengyel, MD, PhD founded and leads the Ovarian Cancer Laboratory at the University of Chicago, which is dedicated to improving our understanding of the biology of ovarian cancer metastasis and exploring the use of novel drugs for its treatment. The 2022 funded research study, Plasma-based proteomics to distinguish benign from malignant adnexal masses, made possible by a gift from the 1111 Foundation, takes a basic science approach to identify a more effective and less invasive method to detect ovarian cancer masses.

It is estimated that annually 200,000 women in the United States will undergo surgery for an adnexal mass, a growth in the female pelvic region, yet "only" 16,000 women are ultimately found to have ovarian cancer. Adnexal masses pose a significant diagnostic challenge for gynecologists because the diagnosis is quite broad, ranging from benign to malignant. Currently, physicians rely on an imperfect combination of imaging, patient history, physical examination, and laboratory tests to discern whether a surgical evaluation is necessary. Thus, there is currently no non-surgical technology that can differentiate benign from malignant adnexal masses.

The Lengyel Laboratory performs sophisticated plasma proteomics – analyses of proteins in the blood – on prospectively collected samples to discover biomarkers that can distinguish benign from malignant adnexal masses. Further, the team is comparing protein biomarkers to calculate whether a combination of protein-based biomarkers alone or in combination has superior sensitivity and specificity.

The study seeks to lead to the creation of a “liquid-biopsy” – a test conducted from a blood draw – a simple yet powerful tool for diagnosing and managing adnexal masses, including aiding in the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

BONUS
More information from trusted sources and other organizations who are doing amazing work:

American Cancer Society

World Ovarian Cancer Coalition

Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance

Foundation for Women’s Cancer

Foundation for Women’s Cancer’s Education Courses & Webinars

Foundation for Women’s Cancer, Ovarian Cancer: Your Guide

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These PDFs are for you! Feel free to print and share in your community.

Hear more from the 2021 Amy Krouse Rosenthal Foundation Ovarian Cancer Early Detection Research Grant recipients:

Learn more about Ovarian Cancer Research & Gynecologic Oncology at University of Chicago Medicine:

Hear from our founder, Jason B. Rosenthal, and board members, Dr. Ernest Lengyel and Dr. Kunle Odunsi, about the Foundation’s mission and importance of funding ovarian cancer research.

Watch 2023 & 2024 AKRF Research Grant Awardee, Rahul Krishnan, MD, explain
the importance and goals of his research study.

Donations support the pursuit of new strategies for the early detection of ovarian cancer, and ultimately aim to change and save lives.

Access to books makes all the difference when it comes to children's ability to read.

In Chicago (Amy's home) and across the country, large percentages of children lack the education and exposure to books they need in order to develop strong reading skills.

Reading allows children to unlock their imaginations, learn new skills, and shape their lives on their terms.

26% of children who were read to three or four times in the last week by a family member recognized all letters of the alphabet. This is compared to 14% of children who were read to less frequently. 
—NEA 

For a strong start in reading, kids both need books and time to read (and be read to).

In underserved communities experiencing poverty where parents work more jobs to make ends meet, there is less time spent to read together, and less money to purchase books.

The Amy Krouse Rosenthal Foundation works with organizations in Chicagoland and across the country who aim to put books in the hands of kids who need them most.

Graphic from First Book and Oregon.gov

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These PDFs are for you! Feel free to print and share with your community.

In addition to our hands-on literacy programs, the Foundation has donated hundreds of thousands of books, including copies of Amy’s award-winning books such as Exclamation Mark, Friendshape, Duck! Rabbit!, and Yes Day!, through our child literacy partners and into classrooms and homes in Chicagoland and across the US. We’ve also, built, installed, and filled with books, little libraries in Chicagoland neighborhoods considered “book deserts.” Sharing Amy’s books spreads messages of kindness, acceptance, and wonder, which are prevalent throughout her work, with children who may not otherwise have the chance to have their own copy, changing lives and futures. Supporting the AKR Foundation makes a strategic impact in the child literacy area. Your donation helps us do more to empower children to read their way to a better life.