History

In 1998, a group of Atlanta women who were ovarian cancer survivors founded the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance (GOCA.)  They originally met each other at the Saint Joseph’s Gynecologic Cancer Support Group and began pooling their energies.  The intention of the founders, and still very much the alliance's focus today, was to alert and educate Georgia’s women and their health care providers about the risks, symptoms and treatment of ovarian cancer.

Since then, GOCA has progressed from an important idea hatched at one founder’s dining room table to a survivor-led non-profit organization with a strong base of supporters, volunteers and staff.  Through our "Know the Facts" education and awareness campaign, we have reached some 41,000 women with our life-saving messages.

Yet, in so many ways, our work is just beginning.   GOCA plans to strengthen and expand its outreach to additional high-risk women and health care professionals.   In our newest program, "Survivors Teaching Students," panels of survivors tell their stories to third-year medical students to help sensitize them to the often vague symptoms of ovarian cancer. 

 

Mission

 

The Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance is a community-based non-profit organization committed to increasing awareness, early detection and reducing mortality by supporting research and providing education to Georgia’s women and their health care providers about the risks, symptoms and treatment of ovarian cancer.

 

GOCA currently serves metropolitan Atlanta with public education programs and collateral materials, and is working to implement statewide outreach and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is seeking funding to move its programs forward.  It is a partner-member of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance.