BOSTON -- More than 10 times as many women are diagnosed with breast cancer than ovarian cancer, but studies indicate there is a link between the two diseases.

Now two friends, who are both cancer survivors, are bridging the gap between breast and ovarian cancer, and they are combining forces to foster research and education.

When breast cancer survivor Karen Webster met for coffee with her friend Patricia Franchi Flaherty, who battles ovarian cancer, she did not know their friendship would turn into a mission.

"What an amazing opportunity the breast cancer and the ovarian cancer community could create by putting both voices together to raise awareness for each individual disease, breast and ovarian cancer, but also to understand the links between the two," said Webster.

She said the result was the creation of Two Women On A Mission, or twoAM, an organization combining the breast cancer and ovarian cancer communities.

Dr. Ursula Matulonis, director of gynecologic oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, said she hopes twoAM will help on a number of different fronts.

"It certainly will help from an education standpoint for both breast and ovarian cancer," said Matulonis. "But it will also help increase the funding for research projects around both cancers, but also the links between both cancers."

Knowing studies show a genetic link between the diseases, Webster opted to have her ovaries removed once she had completed her breast cancer treatment, hoping to lessen her risk of later developing ovarian cancer.

"The final objective is to find the links between breast and ovarian cancer which we believe is significant and important but perhaps not as widely researched and recognized as a problem as it needs to be," said Webster.

TwoAM's first annual fundraiser will be taking place on April 10 at Neiman Marcus in Boston. All proceeds will go to the twoAM and Dana-Farber. To learn more about the fundraiser, breast cancer and ovarian cancer, click here.