Twenty-two thousand women a year are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The Western New York Ovarian Cancer Project helps women and their families learn about symptoms, diagnosis, and questions to ask their doctors. WBFO's Eileen Buckley spoke with the president and co-founder of the project, Kathleen Maxian. Maxian was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2009, four years later she is still fighting the deadly disease and pushes for genetic testing.
Much like actress Angelina Jolie, Maxian carries the BRCA gene that made her susceptible to ovarian and breast cancer. She helped play a role in the recent fight in the Supreme Court decision that states it is illegal for a drug company to hold patents on genes.