TGen News & Press Releases

• Written by Steve Yozwiak /
• Posted Wednesday December 9, 2009

Every 37 minutes, a woman dies from ovarian cancer

More than 500 Valley residents are expected to join researchers from the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) at Tempe's Kiwanis Community Park on March 7 for the first unTEAL A CURE 5K.

Represented by the color teal, the run-walk aims to help raise awareness and stomp out ovarian cancer, whose symptoms often are not properly diagnosed until the cancer is in its late stages and more difficult to treat. Among the indicators of ovarian cancer are frequent or urgent urination and a family history of breast or ovarian cancer.

Emcee of the event is Evan Farmer, an actor for 15 years on film, stage and TV, best known for hosting The Learning Channel's (TLC's) hit home make-over show, While You Were Out. He also has appeared in concert, opening for Britney Spears, as the lead singer of boyband spoof 2GE+HER. Farmer has been active in cancer philanthropy for nearly two decades. His mother, Jamison (Jay) Farmer, passed away from ovarian cancer in 2007.

Also attending the races will be award-winning and New York Times best-selling author and Valley resident Barbara Park, who is an ovarian cancer survivor. She now works to make sure women battling ovarian cancer get the diagnosis and treatment they deserve no matter what their financial situation.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that this year more than 21,000 American women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and more than 14,000 will die from the disease, nearly one every 37 minutes. This cancer appears in tissues of the ovary, one of a pair of female reproductive glands in which the ova, or eggs, are formed.

All of the proceeds from the unTEAL A CURE 5K will benefit TGen's efforts to save lives and improve patient outcomes through new laboratory discoveries.

Dr. Heather Cunliffe, Head of TGen's Breast & Ovarian Cancer Research Unit, is working on ovarian cancer studies that she hopes will lead to earlier detection, improved treatment and prolonged survival.

Details

What: unTEAL A CURE 5K
Where: North end of Tempe's Kiwanis Community Park, 6111 S. All-America Way. Enter off Baseline Road, west of Mill Avenue.
When: March 7. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m.; events start at 8:30 a.m. Why: Raise $25,000 for TGen ovarian cancer research.
How: Registration fees through Feb. 20 are: $25 for ages 13 and up; $5 for ages 5-12; children under 5 are free. Registration fees after Feb. 20 are: $30 for ages 13 and up; $10 for ages 5-12.
To register, please go to: www.helptgen.org.
More information: Contact Michele Avery at 602-625-3857 or [email protected].

Interview requests To interview Evan Farmer, please contact Erin Massey, Director of Development, TGen Foundation, at 602-343-8470 or [email protected].

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