“When you become someone who’s out in front as a media person and you’re recognized and well known, people approach you to make appearances and lend support for different charities,” Knickerbocker said.
“All of us have been touched by someone with ovarian cancer,” Keough said.
Ovations founder and Boston resident Patty Franchi-Flaherty was diagnosed with Stage III ovarian cancer in February 1999.
After surgery and chemotherapy treatments, her cancer went into remission for five years, then recurred in February 2004.
Franchi-Flaherty and a core group of 10 girlfriends were determined to “save other women from the devastation of the disease,” and created Ovations for the Cure two years ago.
Because the symptoms of ovarian cancer go undetected until the disease is in a more advanced stage, Franchi-Flaherty’s mission is to raise awareness and help save lives.
“The sad fact is that ovarian cancer patients don’t live long enough to advocate for their disease,” she said. “Not a lot of survivors make it past the five-year marker, and when they do, they just want to spend time with their families and friends.”
They don’t want to get out and talk about ovarian cancer, Franchi-Flaherty said, but that’s the only way she believes people will become aware of the disease and its symptoms.
Ovarian cancer is described as the “silent disease” because its symptoms — stomach discomfort, gas and distention — can be mistaken for other ailments or misdiagnosed. Early detection is key, Franchi-Flaherty said.
After her ovarian cancer returned, Franchi-Flaherty learned she had a genetic mutation that prevents her immune system from fighting off cancer cells. Looking for alternative treatment, she became part of a clinical trial at the City of Hope in June.
