She Rocks raises funds for ovarian cancer at 6th annual luncheon

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - This year 22,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 14,000 of those women are expected to die from the disease.

She Rocks raised thousands of dollars Monday at their luncheon in an effort to change the story for people diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

The organization has only been around for five years, but they have had a huge impact in the fight against ovarian cancer.

“So far, we have raised over a million dollars to really go toward research as our primary goal to find early diagnostic tools that are available, and ultimately a cure for a disease that is largely underfunded,” said She Rocks board member Brittany Fountain.

According to the organization, 75 percent of funds raised go to the Lineberger Cancer Center at UNC hospital for ovarian cancer screening and early diagnosis. The remaining portion goes to the Zimmer Cancer Center at New Hanover Regional Medical Center for all cancer patients.

Patients spoke on their experiences with the disease and a doctor at the UNC hospital presented an update on stem cell research in the works for ovarian cancer.

“It’s really innovative, it’s currently going through the FDA clearance to start using in clinical trials for humans. But what it will allow is for a simple punch to be able to reverse engineer to an embryonic stage so they can deliver the medicine that’s specific for that tumor, directly to the site without affecting the rest of the body,” said Fountain.

Leaders hope Monday’s event draws in $200,000.

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