The Lynne Cohen Foundation in the News

The Lynne Cohen Foundation For Ovarian Cancer Research

LYNNE COHEN FOUNDATION RECEIVES READER'S DIGEST 2001 HEALTH HEROES AWARD

LOS ANGELES, CA - February 5, 2001 - The Lynne Cohen Foundation for Ovarian Cancer Research announced today that its founders, Amy Cohen, Erin Cohen and Whitney Rosenson, are one of five winners of the Reader's Digest 2001 Health Heroes Award. "Health Heroes recognizes people who have made contributions in the fields of science, medicine, medical research, health sciences or humanitarian outreach. Whether a public figure or an unsung researcher, a doctor or daughter affected by the loss of a loved one, these heroes are united in their enduring perseverance and their commitment to improving the lives of others," stated Editor-in-Chief, Eric W. Schrier.

In 1998, Amy, Erin and Whitney, all in their twenties, created The Lynne Cohen Foundation after their mother, Lynne, passed away from ovarian cancer at age 53. Five years earlier, in 1993, Lynne Cohen, 48, was in the prime of a full life running an art-leasing gallery in Santa Monica, California, and car-pooling and attending the kids' soccer games. That year, she was diagnosed with metastasized ovarian cancer. She was fighting dire odds, employing experimental treatments, surgeries and nearly continuous chemotherapy treatments to keep the disease at bay. It bought her time, but no cure. In January 1998, Lynne Cohen lost her fight. Her daughters decided to do what their mother would have done-focus on the problem of early detection. Presently there is no early detection test for ovarian cancer. As a result, 75% of the women diagnosed have late stage disease and only a 12% chance of surviving five years. The sisters are determined to change those statistics, and their mission is to do so in their mother's name.

Under the guidance of Amy, Erin and Whitney, the almost $2 million the Foundation has raised in three years has gone to fund innovative cancer treatments and an early detection test. This year, The Lynne Cohen Foundation entered the arena of preventive care by establishing The Lynne Cohen Cancer Screening & symposium Project at NYU Medical Center, and The Lynne Cohen High Risk symposium for Women's Cancers, which

is due to open on April 9th at USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles. Ovarian cancer is considered the most deadly gynecological cancer, striking 27,000 women and killing approximately 14,000 every year in the United States. Says Foundation President, Amy Cohen, "We are committed to making an impact on women's healthcare - to changing the outcome for women who receive a diagnosis of ovarian cancer - to helping as many women as possible, at every conceivable stage of disease, including preventive care."

While it took a tragedy to spur them to act, Amy insists anyone can champion a worthy cause. "Everyone has time to do something meaningful in life," she stated in the February issue of Reader's Digest. "If it's something you care about, you can make a difference." The 2001 Reader's Digest Health Heroes will be honored at a celebratory breakfast at the Pierre Hotel in New York City on February 6th. The breakfast will be co-hosted by America's Pharmaceutical Companies (phRMA), which represents the country's leading research-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The other winners are: Kellie Martin, national spokesperson for the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association; Judah Folkman, M.D., Director of Surgical Research Laboratories at Children's Hospital Boston; Carol Ann Bonds, School Superintendent, Rogers, Texas; and Michael Van Rooyen, M.D., MPH, Founding Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for International Emergency, Disaster and Refugee Studies.

For more information, please contact:

Trudy Harris
The Lynne Cohen Foundation
310.571.9126

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