The Zakim Bridge in Boston, illuminated in teal to highlight ovarian cancer issues. 

Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center has joined forces with the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition and The M. Patricia Cronin Foundation to launch a month-long campaign to promote ovarian cancer awareness.

Each year, more than 13,800 women die from ovarian cancer — a disease with symptoms that can be misdiagnosed and spread quickly. Many women don't seek help until the disease has begun to spread, but if detected at its earliest stage, research has proven that the five-year survival rate is more than 93%.

The goal of the coalition is to provide the residents of Massachusetts with lifesaving information about the subtle warning signs of ovarian cancer and the value of early detection. Their efforts include public services announcements on television and radio.

They have also arranged for some local landmarks to light their buildings teal for the month of September, including: Prudential Center Building, TD Garden, The Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel, Bank of America Pavilion, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge, Legal Sea Foods (Boston), Hyatt Regency (Boston and Cambridge), Jordan's Furniture (Natick), Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, (Springfield) and Adobe Systems Incorporated (Waltham).

"Some progress is being made in the fight against ovarian cancer, but there is still much to do," notes Ursula Matulonis, MD, director of Gynecologic Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She urges all to "follow the footsteps of breast cancer advocates in rallying for increased funding for ovarian cancer research and awareness."

To learn more about the efforts of the coalition, please visit ovariancancerawareness.org.