A groundbreaking collaboration between major cancer organizations promises to finally tackle one of women’s deadliest diseases.

Story Highlights

• American Cancer Society and Break Through Cancer launch major initiative targeting ovarian cancer’s deadliest form
• New research reveals nearly half of patients in remission harbor hidden disease, explaining high recurrence rates
• Multi-institutional trials now targeting minimal residual disease to prevent cancer comeback
• Collaborative approach unites top cancer centers including Dana-Farber, MD Anderson, and Memorial Sloan Kettering

Historic Partnership Targets America’s Silent Killer

The American Cancer Society and Break Through Cancer have formed an unprecedented alliance to combat ovarian cancer, the fifth leading cause of cancer death among American women. This collaboration builds on previous successful partnerships, including the ACS and Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance’s $8 million initiative launched in 2019. The partnership specifically targets high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, which accounts for most ovarian cancer deaths and has seen minimal progress in survival rates over four decades.

We are collaborating with @AmericanCancer to raise awareness and advance efforts to prevent ovarian cancer—one of the leading causes of cancer deaths among women.https://t.co/nofzVWSMnE pic.twitter.com/8qfxynY26B

— Break Through Cancer (@break_cancer) September 25, 2025

Breakthrough Discovery Reveals Hidden Enemy

In August 2025, Break Through Cancer’s research team published groundbreaking findings showing nearly half of ovarian cancer patients believed to be in remission actually harbor a hidden disease called minimal residual disease (MRD). This discovery explains why ovarian cancer has such devastating recurrence rates and why standard imaging fails to detect lingering threats. The research represents a paradigm shift in understanding how this cancer operates, providing hope for millions of American women and their families facing this diagnosis.

Revolutionary Treatment Approach Launches

Two innovative clinical trials launched in 2024-2025 specifically target MRD using second-look surgery and novel immunotherapies. These trials represent a departure from traditional “wait and see” approaches that have failed American patients for decades. Tyler Jacks, PhD, President of Break Through Cancer, emphasized that collaborative science “opens the door to smarter trials, understanding where recurrence comes from and blocking it from occurring.” This approach could dramatically improve outcomes for patients nationwide.

Elite Cancer Centers Unite for American Patients

The initiative brings together America’s premier cancer institutions, including Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Johns Hopkins, and MIT Koch Institute. This collaborative model breaks down traditional institutional barriers that have historically slowed progress. William Phelps, PhD, Senior Vice President at ACS, noted that “breaking down barriers and working together is particularly important in ovarian cancer, a disease for which new innovative treatments are urgently needed.” The partnership leverages collective expertise to accelerate breakthroughs that individual institutions might struggle to achieve alone.

Prevention Strategies Complement Treatment Innovation

Beyond treatment advances, the collaboration emphasizes prevention through public health campaigns promoting opportunistic salpingectomy procedures. Recent scientific understanding reveals most high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas actually originate in fallopian tubes, making preventive removal a viable strategy for high-risk women. This comprehensive approach addresses the disease from multiple angles, potentially reducing incidence while improving treatment outcomes. The initiative represents hope for American families who have watched this devastating disease claim too many mothers, daughters, and sisters across our nation.

Sources:

OCRA and American Cancer Society Launch New Ovarian Cancer Research Collaboration
New Study Finds Hidden Disease in Nearly Half of Ovarian Cancer Patients in Remission
No More Wait and See: Two Clinical Trials Target the Origins of Recurrent Ovarian Cancer
Intercepting Ovarian Cancer