A vibrant woman who enjoyed a thriving career in the global securities industry, Elizabeth Bennett Rice was for years a steadfast participant in the 190-mile Pan Mass Challenge, raising funds to combat cancer long before her own diagnosis.
At first misdiagnosed by a local gynecologist, Beth went to Mass General as her symptoms worsened. The day after her CT scan, surgeons removed a basketball-sized tumor. At age 52, she was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive ovarian cancer. Cancer free for a year, Beth retired, toured France with her husband Peter and friends, and founded the Madam Ovary Foundation to fund ovarian cancer research and education.
In October 2008, Beth died at home in New Castle, NH. Continuing Beth’s fight, her foundation targets early detection of ovarian cancer, which has symptoms like those of menopause or intestinal disorders. Grantees include Mass General researcher Steven J. Skates, PhD, who is working on a blood test that identifies early-stage ovarian cancer.
