Rhonda Reeve: Creating Hope Through Ovarian Cancer Clinical Trials

When Rhonda Reeve was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer in 2015, she entered a world of surgery, treatment, and uncertainty. She also found a way to turn that uncertainty into something that could help others.

After her initial treatment, Rhonda participated in an immunotherapy clinical trial. For her, the decision was about more than what a trial might mean for her own treatment. She saw participation in ovarian cancer clinical trials as an opportunity to contribute knowledge that could help patients in the future.

That perspective has remained central to her advocacy. Rhonda’s story reflects the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition’s (NOCC) Research pillar and the important role patients can play in advancing our understanding of ovarian cancer.

From an ovarian cancer diagnosis to clinical trial participation

Before her diagnosis, Rhonda experienced worsening pelvic pain, bloating, changes in her abdomen, and difficulty eating. She sought medical care several times as her symptoms continued. Eventually, severe pain brought her to an emergency room, where additional testing led to her diagnosis.

Her treatment included surgery and chemotherapy. After completing her initial treatment, Rhonda participated in an immunotherapy clinical trial. She later experienced a recurrence and continued navigating treatment and clinical trial participation.

Rhonda did not view research as something reserved for when every other option had been exhausted. She saw clinical trial participation as one way patients could help researchers learn more about ovarian cancer and improve treatment for those who come next.

That idea became the central message of her Research spotlight at NOCC’s Together in TEAL® events:

“We will not find a cure if we don’t have clinical trials. What I do today may not help me, but it’s going to help people down the road. I think that’s a very important legacy to leave.”

Why ovarian cancer clinical trials matter

Clinical trials are research studies designed to answer scientific questions and find better ways to prevent, diagnose, or treat cancer. They may study new treatments, new combinations of existing treatments, approaches to screening, or ways to improve quality of life.

NOCC provides information about ovarian cancer clinical trials to help patients and families understand how trials work and what to consider when exploring participation.

Clinical trials also help researchers understand what works, what does not, and what questions should be studied next.

For someone considering a clinical trial, the decision is personal. A trial may not be appropriate for every patient or at every point in treatment. Patients can talk with their healthcare team about eligibility, potential benefits and risks, the purpose of a study, costs, and other ovarian cancer treatment options.

Rhonda’s experience reflects another important part of research: progress depends on people who are willing and able to participate.

Turning a personal experience into action

Research is only one part of Rhonda’s involvement in the ovarian cancer community.

Rhonda and her husband, Jay, share a love of competitive crappie fishing. They decided to use that passion as a platform for ovarian cancer awareness and support.

Their boat became a moving billboard for NOCC and ovarian cancer awareness. Through Team Reeve, they invited supporters to contribute to NOCC and featured sponsor names on the boat. Rhonda also spoke about ovarian cancer at fishing tournaments, while events such as Crappiefest and the Jack N Jill tournament helped raise funds to support NOCC’s mission.

The fishing community gave Rhonda a way to bring ovarian cancer information to people who might not otherwise encounter it.

Her approach also demonstrates how research, awareness, and community action can reinforce one another. Clinical trial participation can contribute to scientific knowledge. Advocacy can help more people understand why research matters. Fundraising can support organizations working to advance research and provide resources for people affected by ovarian cancer.

Supporting the future of ovarian cancer research

The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition is committed to supporting ovarian cancer research that can improve the lives of people impacted by the disease.

That work includes investments in areas such as early detection, quality of life, health equity, and clinical research. Each area addresses important questions about how ovarian cancer is detected, treated, understood, and experienced.

Research progress happens at many levels. Scientists develop questions and study new approaches. Healthcare professionals help patients understand their options. Organizations provide funding and resources. Patients who choose to participate contribute information researchers could not gather otherwise.

Rhonda represents that patient perspective.

Her decision to participate came with uncertainty. She understood that what researchers learned might have greater meaning for someone she would never meet.

For Rhonda, that possibility mattered.

Creating a legacy through ovarian cancer research

Rhonda’s advocacy has taken many forms over the years. She has shared her experience, raised awareness through competitive fishing, supported NOCC, and encouraged people affected by ovarian cancer to have informed conversations with their physicians.

But her connection to research carries a particular meaning.

Clinical trial participation gave Rhonda an opportunity to contribute to something beyond her own treatment. Each study depends on patients who are willing to participate, researchers who carefully examine the results, and future studies that build on what has been learned.

There is no guarantee that participating in a clinical trial will benefit an individual patient. That is precisely why Rhonda’s perspective is so meaningful. Her hope was not limited to what research might do for her.
It included what researchers might learn for someone else.

Her message is a reminder that ovarian cancer research is ultimately about people. It is about answering questions that remain unanswered today so future patients and families may have more information and more options tomorrow.