Not These Ovaries

Nobody tells you that ovarian cancer changes your s*x life. But 63% of women say it does, and silence makes it harder, not easier.

Physical changes like vaginal dryness, pain during intimacy, and early menopause are real, common, and often treatable. So are the emotional ones: grief over a changed body, anxiety about pain, a libido that’s gone quiet. All of it is valid. None of it is permanent.

Here’s what actually helps: vaginal moisturizers (Replens, YES VM) used regularly, not just during s*x. Water-based or silicone-based lubricants. Pelvic floor physical therapy, which more cancer patients should know exists. And honest conversation with your partner about what feels good now, not what used to.

Sexuality after cancer isn’t about returning to who you were. It’s about getting to know who you are now, and knowing you still deserve pleasure, connection, and intimacy on your own terms.

Your tumor has a genetic fingerprint. And reading it could change everything about how your cancer is treated.

Somatic mutations — the genetic changes that develop inside tumor cells, not the ones you’re born with — are one of the most underexplained parts of an ovarian cancer diagnosis. But they directly determine whether certain therapies will work for you, including PARP inhibitors, platinum-based chemotherapy, and emerging targeted treatments.

Here’s what too many patients don’t know: if only a blood-based genetic test has been done, critical mutations in your tumor tissue may have gone undetected entirely. According to NCCN and ASCO guidelines, all patients with epithelial ovarian cancer should receive both germline and somatic testing, and that second part is often missed.

We break down what somatic mutations are, which ones matter most for each ovarian cancer subtype, and what to ask your care team.

Read the full guide: https://www.nottheseovaries.org/somatic-mutations-in-ovarian-cancer/

Being diagnosed with ovarian cancer means entering a world full of medical jargon, fast-moving appointments, and decisions that can feel overwhelming. But here’s what too many women aren’t told: how you show up for yourself in that process matters enormously.

Self-advocacy isn’t about being difficult. It’s about writing your questions down before you walk into the room. It’s about asking for a second opinion without guilt. It’s about keeping a symptom diary so that “something feels off” becomes evidence a doctor can’t dismiss. It’s about knowing that a normal Pap smear tells you nothing about ovarian cancer risk — and asking the right follow-up questions anyway.

For women with low-grade serous ovarian cancer or borderline ovarian tumors, this is especially critical. These subtypes are rarer, frequently misunderstood, and often misdiagnosed. The quality of care you receive can depend on how prepared and persistent you are.

Some of the most powerful things you can do cost nothing: bring someone to your appointments and give them a job. Own your medical records. Ask your doctor to explain things in plain language. Be honest with your support network about what you actually need.

Self-advocacy isn’t a single conversation. It’s a practice — one question asked, one record requested, one second opinion sought. And the more you do it, the easier it gets.

For many women going through chemotherapy, hair loss is the side effect they dread most — more than the nausea, more than the fatigue. It’s visible in a way other side effects simply aren’t.

But here’s what we want you to know: it’s temporary, it’s manageable, and you are so much more than your hair.

Our new guide covers the full picture — why paclitaxel causes hair loss, what to expect week by week, whether cold caps actually work, and how to take care of yourself emotionally when cancer becomes impossible to hide.

Because you deserve honest information, not just reassurance.

Read the full guide: https://www.nottheseovaries.org/ovarian-cancer-and-hair-loss/

“Why can’t I remember things the way I used to?”

For many ovarian cancer patients, chemo brain is one of the most frustrating and isolating side effects of treatment. Memory lapses. Brain fog. Trouble concentrating. Feeling mentally “slow.”

And yet it’s rarely talked about openly.

Our latest article breaks down what chemo brain actually is, why ovarian cancer patients may be especially vulnerable, and the practical strategies that can help people cope day to day.

Read more: https://www.nottheseovaries.org/chemo-brain/

Bringing meaningful change to the low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC) community takes more than good intentions. It takes collaboration.

That's why we partnered with Verastem, STAAR, and more than 10 leading patient advocacy organizations to build something this community has never had before: the LGSOC Resource Guide.

One place, one resource, pulling together trusted education, practical tools, and community support for patients, caregivers, and everyone navigating the road of low-grade serous ovarian cancer.

For too long, finding reliable guidance has meant piecing things together from scattered sources. This guide was built — by organizations who know this community deeply — to change that.

Whether you're newly diagnosed, navigating treatment, facing recurrence, or supporting someone you love, there's something in here for exactly where you are right now.

Access the free guide: https://www.nottheseovaries.org/lgsoc-resource-guide/

39 riders. 294 donations. $28,819 raised.

Two days after World Ovarian Cancer Day, our founder Emily Campbell joined the NOCC Team Teal ride at Peloton Studios in NYC: a room full of survivors, caregivers, and supporters who showed up because they know exactly what's at stake.

The fight against ovarian cancer happens in places like this, too. Grateful to NOCC for having us, and to everyone who donated or cheered from the sidelines.