The Johnson County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 4 unanimously approved a proclamation declaring September 2025 as ovarian cancer awareness month and invited local researchers and advocates to speak about diagnosis, symptoms and ongoing studies. Moved by Supervisor Green Douglas and seconded by Supervisor Remington, the proclamation passed on a unanimous roll call vote.

The proclamation cites national statistics, saying ovarian cancer is the fifth-leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States and noting the American Cancer Society’s estimates for 2025 that were read into the record: about 20,890 new cases and 12,730 deaths nationwide, including about 180 new cases and 120 deaths in Iowa.

Brigitte Toomey, who said she works in the University of Iowa Department of OB-GYN and that she lost her mother to ovarian cancer, told the board the proclamation “means a lot to me.” She introduced Christy Teal, who identified herself as an ovarian cancer researcher at the University of Iowa and the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Teal summarized laboratory work in Iowa that aims to improve long-term survival for ovarian cancer patients. “Half of all women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer will not make it to 5 years,” Teal told the board, and described a research approach that collects patient tumors with consent, grows them as three-dimensional organoid models and tests drug responses in the lab so findings can inform clinical trials and biomarker development. “We call this bedside to bench to bedside research, where we start with the patient, we study it in the laboratory, and then we bring that information back to the clinicians in clinical trials,” Teal said.

Board members and guests emphasized the need for research and earlier detection. Supervisor Sullivan said some patients receive surprising diagnoses without prior symptoms and welcomed research toward an early detection tool. Teal listed common, often nonspecific symptoms that clinicians and the public should be alert to, including persistent bloating, feeling full quickly, increased urinary frequency and unexpected abdominal weight changes; she urged people who feel something is wrong to continue seeking medical evaluation.

Several supervisors and attendees spoke about challenges for university-based research teams, including funding pressures and the long timeframes of scientific replication. Teal noted she received an NIH grant in 2022 that supported opening her lab and emphasized that the work proceeds with patient consent and collaboration among gynecologic oncologists, pathologists and research coordinators.

The board invited members of the public to comment after the proclamation and permitted a photo by participants before moving on to subsequent agenda items.

Why it matters: The proclamation formally recognizes ovarian cancer as a public-health concern in Johnson County and connected local researchers with county officials to highlight ongoing research and public education needs. The board’s action was ceremonial but used the forum to surface research priorities and symptom awareness for residents.