Nicki's Circle Provides Support to Women Battling Ovarian Cancer

DENVER, CO--(Marketwire - May 17, 2012) - The staff, volunteers and board of directors of the Colorado Ovarian Cancer Alliance (COCA) know that it is never easy to face a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. That's why COCA's Nicki's Circle support groups are available to help.

Thanks to Nicki S., who wanted to share her journey and ensure that others received the same support and caring that she did from fellow survivors, and who also provided the initial financial base, Nicki's Circle has served Denver-area women since 2005. At monthly meetings, information is exchanged about ovarian cancer, current medical research and how women can effectively advocate for obtaining the best health care possible. The sessions also provide a time and place for sharing the emotional ups and down of the disease.

In addition to monthly meetings at four locations -- St. John's Cathedral in central Denver, Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree, Swedish Medical Center in south Denver, and Kaiser Permanente Rock Creek at Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette -- COCA offers telephone support groups for women managing ovarian cancer and also for their loved ones and friends. And now COCA offers Nicki's Circle Network, a social media site with online discussion forums for survivors and caregivers.

"Nicki's Circle Network is our newest way for ovarian cancer survivors in Colorado to connect and share," says Susan Hess, MA, LPC, COCA's support services program manager. "We encourage the members to ask questions, share articles and videos, post photos, personal milestones and celebrations, and to join in the forums to discuss topics of shared interest. Thanks to the Network's use of password protection and privacy preferences, the materials shared within the network stay within the network."

To learn more about Nicki's Circle support groups, contact Susan Hess at 720-519-3122 or susan@colo-ovariancancer.org.

About the Colorado Ovarian Cancer Alliance (COCA)
The mission of COCA is to promote awareness about ovarian cancer through advocacy, education and support. COCA is a partner member of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance (OCNA). COCA's goals are:

• To ADVOCATE for women with ovarian cancer, and for ovarian cancer awareness through participation in activities at the local, state and national levels.
• To EDUCATE women, families, doctors and health care providers about early detection of ovarian cancer through Survivors Teaching Students™ and COCA Speakers Bureau programs.
• To SUPPORT survivors through offering regular Nicki's Circle Ovarian Cancer Support Groups.

COCA will host its third annual Jodi's Race for Awareness, including a 5k Run/Walk and 1Mile Family Walk, Saturday, June 2, 2012 in Denver's City Park. Runners and walkers are invited to participate in this fundraising event and to help COCA to reach its $100,000 goal. Registration for the 2012 Jodi's Race for Awareness is underway online at www.colo-ovariancancer.org. Every person who registers for the race contributes to spreading awareness of ovarian cancer.

To learn more about COCA and its programs, visit www.colo-ovariancancer.org.

About Ovarian Cancer

• Every 40 hours one woman in Colorado dies from ovarian cancer.
• The American Cancer Society estimates that 22,280 women in the United States will receive a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer in 2012 and that 15,500 women will die from the disease.
• Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer in females in the United States but it is the deadliest gynecologic cancer.
• There is no screening test for ovarian cancer, so being able to recognize the symptoms, leading to early detection, is critical to saving lives.
• Symptoms of ovarian cancer include suddenly-occurring and persistent bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and urinary urgency or frequency.