Medical and Science
Most lethal female cancer remains critically underfunded
In recognition of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) held its Teal Ribbon Breakfast in Canberra and awarded new grants totalling almost $1.8 million to three researchers leading the fight against ovarian cancer.
Ged Kearney MP, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, said “There is currently no screening test or examination to detect ovarian cancer at an early stage, or one effective enough for a population-based screening program.
“Our Government is committed to improving the lives of people with ovarian cancer, as well as their family members and carers, this includes millions of dollars for the Teal Support Program and TRACEBACK project.
“It’s my privilege to drive an area I am incredibly passionate about – women’s health. I thank the Minister for Health Mark Butler for carving out this important part of the health portfolio. We want to make sure that health issues specifically affecting women and girl’s health and wellbeing receives the attention it deserves, and of course we will continue to implement the National Women’s Health Strategy.
“I am proud to chair the new National Women’s Health Advisory Council. The council will provide strategic advice to us on improving Australia’s health system for women and girls and consider the significant biases that exist in the system that research now shows results in significant differences in outcomes between the sexes.”
The OCRF has funded almost $10 million in research projects over the past five years. The latest round of grants adds to the $1 million in ovarian cancer research projects already receiving funding from OCRF.
The three new grants focus on finding an early detection test and better treatment options for the disease that kills one woman in Australia every eight hours.
The OCRF’s Chief Executive Officer, Robin Penty, said more than 1800 Australian women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year – more than four women every day – and only 889 of those women will still be alive in five years.
“Patients usually receive a ‘one size fits all’ treatment plan of surgery followed by generic chemotherapy. Outcomes are extremely poor, with a five-year survival rate of just 49%.”
Former Foreign Minister and OCRF ambassador Julie Bishop said “Ovarian cancer is an insidious disease with vague symptoms, so about 70% of women are already at an advanced stage when they are diagnosed.
“The lack of an early detection test remains the biggest barrier to improving survival rates. Research is our best hope,” Ms Bishop said.
“These OCRF grants will fund research to help find an early detection test – and better treatment options – for Australian women and girls.”
About 80% of ovarian cancer patients suffer recurrence after initially responding to chemotherapy. In most cases, chemotherapy stops working all together and most patients are then left with no other treatment options.
Professor Brian Gabrielli, of Mater Research, is heading a combined team from the Mater Research Institute and The University of Queensland to test a new treatment approach that increases the ability of a patient’s own immune system to recognise and attack tumour cells – like immunotherapy, which is successful in treating melanoma and some lung cancers. The aim is more effective and less toxic treatment than chemotherapy.
Associate Professor Jason Lee and his team from QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute are working to increase the survival rate of ovarian cancer patients by focusing on circular RNAs as the foundations of an early detection test. Their research intends to not only provide a method of early diagnosis, but also to provide an early indication if a patient in remission is likely to experience cancer recurrence.
Professor Michael Jennings and the team from Griffith University’s Institute for Glycomics discovered a sugar-based marker in blood and bodily fluids to predict early disease. The OCRF funding will allow the team to refine understanding of the biomarker to develop it for early detection of ovarian cancer.
Gold Coast doctor Shabnam Gujadhur was 30 years old when she was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer in March 2022.
“Ovarian cancer is a silent killer and an ignored killer,” she said. “When I started having symptoms, I brushed it off, telling myself ‘just get over it’.”
After experiencing symptoms for several weeks, Dr Gujadhur saw a doctor. Initial tests disclosed abnormal results and she was referred for surgery to remove an ovarian cyst.
“I remember being told ‘unfortunately, it’s not good news’. I was given the diagnosis of endometriosis and ovarian cancer, the latter two words which completely changed my life. I was diagnosed with a stage 1 mixed dysgerminoma and gonadoblastoma. While I consider myself as one of those lucky ones, since my cancer was picked at an early stage, the next 12 months for me are critical due to the high risk of recurrence.
“There is not one single day where I do not wake up, fearing that the cancer will return, fearing that I will need to take my right ovary out, fearing that I will not be able to conceive in the future.”
The OCRF is also collaborating with the Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG) to seek Federal Government funding for a pilot program to demonstrate the efficacy of a precision medicine approach for all people diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
The Precision Medicine Promise is a research-led model that would revolutionise the standard of care for women with ovarian cancer.
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