Ovarian Cancer Canada - financial statements year ended Mar 2015/2014 (2 sources)

Website Sources:

* (CRA) Government of Canada (charities)

 * Ovarian Cancer Canada

Statement of operations year ended March 31, 2015: (*OCC)

Revenue

   2015                  2014

$4,281,688       $4,049,571

(Deficiency) excess of revenue over expenses for the year (*OCC)

   (257,956)            72,848

Investing activities

Proceeds from disposal of investments

$1,700,000           $1,100,000 (*OCC)

Research commitment

OCC has committed to pay $120,000 to a research organization in the year ending March 31,  2016.  These funds are to support OCC’s portion of the financial commitment for two grants for research in OCC’s core areas of focus over a two year period.  The OCC contribution will be matched by the research organization. (*OCC)

Additional information to comply with the disclosure requirements of the Charitable Fundraising

Act of Alberta

Remuneration paid to employees for activities involving fundraising, together with associated

employee benefits and statutory payroll costs, amounted to $591,043 (2014 - $603,949). (*OCC)

Compensation (*Canada Revenue Agency)

 Total compensation for all positions    $2,302,812

 Full-time employees:  28    Part-time employees: 12

Ten highest compensated full-time positions           $160,000 - $199,999: 1

$120,000 - $159,999: 1 $80,000 - $119,999: 7  $40,000 - $79,999: 1

 

Dietary intake variability in the cycle of cytotoxic chemotherapy (ovarian cancer/Poland)

abstract
  anthropometry (def.) [an″thro-pom´ĕ-tre] the science that deals with the measurement of the size, weight, and proportions of the human body.

PURPOSE:

This study was conducted to evaluate the dietary intake at different time points of the chemotherapeutic cycle.

METHODS:

Fifty-five ovarian cancer patients receiving at least 2 cycles of chemotherapy were deemed eligible for this study, of which 41 participants completed the study. Anthropometrical measurements and Subjective Global Assessment were used to estimate nutritional status. The dietary intake was evaluated by 3-day food records: 3 days prior to, the day of, and the following day after chemotherapy.

Helplessness/hopelessness, minimization and optimism predict survival in women with invasive ovarian cancer

abstract:
 Helplessness/hopelessness, minimization and optimism predict survival in women with invasive ovarian cancer: a role for targeted support during initial treatment decision-making?

AOCS—Quality of Life Study Investigators on behalf of the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study Group

PURPOSE:

Women with advanced ovarian cancer generally have a poor prognosis but there is significant variability in survival despite similar disease characteristics and treatment regimens. The aim of this study was to determine whether psychosocial factors predict survival in women with ovarian cancer, controlling for potential confounders.

METHODS:

The sample comprised 798 women with invasive ovarian cancer recruited into the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study and a subsequent quality of life study. Validated measures of depression, optimism, minimization, helplessness/hopelessness, and social support were completed 3-6 monthly for up to 2 years. Four hundred nineteen women (52.5 %) died over the follow-up period. Associations between time-varying psychosocial variables and survival were tested using adjusted Cox proportional hazard models.

RESULTS:

There was a significant interaction of psychosocial variables measured prior to first progression and overall survival, with higher optimism, higher minimization, and lower helplessness/hopelessness associated with longer survival. After disease progression, these variables were not associated with survival and helplessness/hopelessness. Depression and social support were not associated with survival.

CONCLUSIONS:

In women with invasive ovarian cancer, psychosocial variables prior to disease progression appear to impact on overall survival, suggesting a preventive rather than modifying role. Addressing psychosocial responses to cancer and their potential impact on treatment decision-making early in the disease trajectory may benefit survival and quality of life.

Nausea as a sentinel symptom for cytotoxic chemotherapy effects on the gut-brain axis among women receiving treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer

abstract:Nausea as a sentinel symptom for cytotoxic chemotherapy effects on the gut-brain axis among women receiving treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer: an exploratory analysis

PURPOSE: 

Nausea is a common and potentially serious effect of cytotoxic chemotherapy for recurrent ovarian cancer and may function as a sentinel symptom reflecting adverse effects on the gut-brain axis (GBA) more generally, but research is scant. As a first exploratory test of this GBA hypothesis, we compared women reporting nausea to women not reporting nausea with regard to the severity of other commonly reported symptoms in this patient population.

METHODS:

A secondary analysis of data systematically collected from women in active chemotherapy treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer (n = 158) was conducted. The Symptom Representation Questionnaire (SRQ) provided severity ratings for 22 common symptoms related to cancer and chemotherapy. Independent sample t tests and regression analyses were used to compare women with and without nausea with regard to their experience of other symptoms.

RESULTS:

Nausea was reported by 89 (56.2 %) women. Symptoms that were significantly associated with nausea in bivariate and regression analyses included abdominal bloating, bowel disturbances, dizziness, depression, drowsiness, fatigue, headache, lack of appetite, memory problems, mood swings, shortness of breath, pain, sleep disturbance, urinary problems, vomiting, and weight loss. Symptoms that were not associated with nausea included hair loss, numbness and tingling, sexuality concerns, and weight gain.

CONCLUSIONS:

Nausea experienced during chemotherapy for recurrent ovarian cancer may be an indicator of broader effects on the gut-brain axis. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying these effects could lead to the development of novel supportive therapies to increase the tolerability and effectiveness of cancer treatment.

REVIEW Imaging biomarkers in ovarian cancer: the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT (CA 125...)

pdf

THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING A Journal on Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Affiliated to the Society of Radiopharmaceutical Sciences and to the International Research Group of Immunoscintigraphy

Abstract

Ovarian cancer represents one of the major form of cancer in women in the western world and its silent nature leads to a late clinical manifestation at advanced stage in many patients. Therefore the role of imaging techniques is very important for the correct management of these patients. In the present review, the role of 18F-FDG-PET/CT in the different clinical settings is presented and a comparison with other imaging modalities and serum biomarker CA-125 are discussed.

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Exclusive: Patient safety issues prompt leadership shake-up at NIH hospital

Blogger's Note: recent news has not been very good when it comes to patient safety reports (Canada/U.S.....)

The Washington Post

 When scientists conduct clinical trials to study a particular drug’s effect on patients, they want to know if differences in outcomes are a result of the drug, Pronovost said. But if patients have bad outcomes because of the care they receive, “that could really bias your research findings.” His bottom line: “You can still do cutting-edge research and have safe patient care.”

May 10, 2016: Viewpoint - Evolving Approaches in Research and Care for Ovarian Cancers

JAMA Network - not open access

Viewpoint | May 10, 2016

Evolving Approaches in Research and Care for Ovarian CancersA Report From the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

This Viewpoint discusses a recent report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that emphasizes the latest knowledge in ovarian cancer research and recommends approaches that will benefit outcomes for women with or at risk for ovarian cancer..... 

Open-access index delists thousands of journals

Nature News & Comment

09 May 2016

A leading index of open-access journals is set to shrink by more than one-quarter after delisting around 3,300 titles as part of an effort to exclude questionable and inactive publishers.

The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), which at the beginning of the year listed more than 11,000 open-access academic journals, announced two years ago that it would be tightening its standards for inclusion....