Every year, thousands of women in the United States are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Like all cancers, ovarian cancer is brutal and cruel, inflicting pain and hardship for women and their families. Like so many families, my family and I know the pain of cancer all too well. During National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, we honor the courage of those affected by ovarian cancer and renew our commitment to fighting this illness that takes the lives of far too many women. We also recommit to improving and promoting early cancer detection, investing in cancer research, and ensuring that every woman has equitable access to the care they need and deserve.

Ovarian cancer is rare and deadly. Because there is no early ovarian cancer screening test, many women are diagnosed with this disease at an advanced stage. And despite ovarian cancer rates being highest among white women, Black women are more likely to die from this disease because of lack of access to health care, socioeconomic disparities, and other causes still under study.

The effort to eliminate ovarian cancer is taking place on all fronts, from laboratory research on cancer prevention, screening and early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care, to clinical research studies, clinical trials, and public health and awareness efforts. Through the leadership of the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), scientists are focused on research to maintain and improve the quality and length of life for women with ovarian cancer. My Administration plans to build on these efforts by supporting investments in research and technology to develop new ways to detect ovarian cancer early, and improve treatment strategies. To push for these groundbreaking discoveries and innovative treatments, I have called for the creation of an Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health at the NIH — or ARPA-H — which would invest $6.5 billion to develop breakthroughs that prevent, detect, and treat cancer and other deadly diseases. I am committed to doing everything I can to end cancer as we know it, and to bring together the human, financial, and knowledge resources necessary to make the breakthroughs that will dramatically advance our progress against cancer and deliver hope and health to the world. Read More.