September 17, 2008
Boston turns teal to raise awareness of ovarian cancer
Why is the Zakim Bridge bathed in a shade of green-blue these days? The Bank of America Pavilion, too?
As part of the coalition OvarianCancerAwareness.org, Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center (DF/BWCC) launched a campaign this month to highlight issues related to ovarian cancer. These Boston landmarks, together with the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield and the Hyatt Hotel in Cambridge, are using filters to transform typically white lights to teal in hopes of turning attention to this silent and often deadly disease.
The Zakim Bridge in Boston, illuminated in teal to highlight ovarian cancer issues.
The coalition is dedicated to educating the public about the subtle symptoms of ovarian cancer to promote early detection. If found early, the five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is more than 90 percent. Yet today, more than 15,500 women die from the disease each year, often because it isn't detected until after it has spread. Women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer can also be at higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.
"The coalition is very successful in devising creative ways to raise ovarian cancer awareness," says Ursula Matulonis, MD, director of Gynecologic Oncology at Dana-Farber. "It's wonderful to see this group pull so many people together."
In addition to the change in skyline, the group is going door-to-door at the State House, delivering information cards about the illness that list the symptoms, and sending physicians information to distribute to their patients.
The Hyatt Hotel in Cambridge, outlined in teal and reflected in the Charles River.
Information cards will also be distributed by the Massachusetts Transit Authority at Mass Pike toll booths for two days — Sept. 24 and 25 — reaching about 10,000 people. Radio and television messages will also herald the importance of ovarian cancer education and awareness.
The campaign is led by six member organizations: DF/BWCC, the M. Patricia Cronin Foundation to Fight Ovarian Cancer, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, the state chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, the Ovarian Cancer Education Awareness Network, and Ovations for the Cure.
"Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center is excited to be a part of this statewide campaign to alert women and those who love them to the subtle changes that could signal ovarian cancer," says Donna Walthall, director of marketing at Dana-Farber. "Only 15 percent of women are familiar with the symptoms and 82 percent have never talked to their doctors about it. We hope to encourage conversations between women and their physicians that could save lives."
The campaign will culminate with a real-time webcast from Massachusetts General Hospital on Sept. 24, featuring members of the coalition, survivors of ovarian cancer and their family members, and physicians discussing the disease's diagnosis, treatment, and heredity. On Sept. 25, those who have shown an outstanding commitment to ovarian cancer awareness will be honored at the Teal Awards ceremony, including former Dana-Farber Trustee Patty Franchi Flaherty, who passed away from the disease in August.
