Experts Call For Greater Collaboration Between Clinicians And Researchers To Improve The Outlook For Ovarian Cancer Patients

Main Category: Ovarian Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology;  Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 09 Feb 2009 - 3:00 PDT

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The initial stage of first ever national study to chart the unmet needs and untapped opportunities in the diagnosis, treatment and aftercare for women with ovarian cancer has found there is: "significant scope to improve survival and length of life following an ovarian cancer diagnosis."

To achieve this, however, relationships between the clinical and research community must be improved as well as industry funding and resources for ovarian cancer.

Clinicians and medical researchers agreed that the significant opportunities for an improved prognosis lie in the medical professions ability to treat ovarian cancer as a heterogenous disease and develop individualised treatments.

Some surgeons also see an opportunity for more radical initial surgery and increased use of surgery for recurrences. For this to become reality, however, the capacity of the NHS to meet the needs of multi-disciplinary surgical teams, fund additional training and associated facilities in peri-operative care must be improved.

Researchers and clinicians also said the availability of pathology and diagnostic services must be improved and more funding made available for increasingly targeted treatments within what is seen as a 'small market cancer' by pharmaceutical companies.

Multi-disciplinary panel to steer ambitious new study

The initial findings, sourced via a series of in-depth interviews and focus groups with more than 10 gynaecological oncology clinicians and ovarian cancer researchers, will be used to shape the future direction by the Pathfinder Study - the first research of its kind to capture the views and experiences of all those involved in ovarian cancer diagnosis and management - including medical oncologists, gynaecologists, surgeons, pathologists, clinical researchers, GPs, specialist cancer nurses and women with ovarian cancer.

The ambitious new study is an initiative of Target Ovarian Cancer, a new national charity dedicated to achieving a longer and better life for women with ovarian cancer UK-wide. Currently 6,800 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the UK every year but survival rates are amongst the worst in Europe at around 30%.

A multi-disciplinary panel of independent experts [i], chaired by Professor Robert Haward, Emeritus Prof. of Cancer Studies at the University of Leeds, has been convened by Target Ovarian Cancer. The panel will meet regularly and use the findings from each phase of the Study to shape the direction of the next research phase(s).

"Improving ovarian cancer survival rates and quality of life is a complex challenge, and one that requires the collaboration of healthcare professionals working in primary care and in hospitals as well as researchers, academics and pharmaceuticals, and of course the vital input of patients.

"By working together on the Pathfinder Study we plan to map, for the first time, some of the key issues identified in the preliminary research that affect ovarian cancer patients throughout their cancer pathway. We will then be seeking opportunities to influence the way services work as well as trying to improve the experiences of patients themselves. " Professor Haward said.

Target Ovarian Cancer to double investment over next three years

One of the reasons why survival rates for ovarian cancer in the UK are lagging behind the rest of the world may be the fact that investment in this field is miniscule compared with other cancers such as breast and prostate cancer." Annwen Jones, Chief Executive of Target Ovarian Cancer, said.

"Over the next three years, Target Ovarian Cancer aims to double the level of research funding for ovarian cancer via a national grants initiative and set up a national advocacy programme to help ensure clinical management issues are communicated to healthcare and public policy makers.

How prognosis could be improved?

Clinicians who took part in the initial phase of the Pathfinder Study, pinpointed several opportunities for improving the outlook for women with ovarian cancer in the UK:

- In addition to the need to improve symptom awareness and diagnosis at primary care level, there is potential to accelerate the referral pathway within secondary care by strengthening links with consultants and surgeons in related specialisms and so increase the number of appropriate patient referrals to gynaecological oncology clinics. While this will result in more women without the disease being seen, it also means that fewer women with ovarian cancer will be missed and that treatment can begin earlier. Survival rates of up to 90% are possible when treatment is begun in the early stages of ovarian cancer and it is known that many women experience delays of several months between first experiencing symptoms, and being diagnosed

- More training and development opportunities must be created in order to establish ovarian cancer as an attractive specialism for new consultants.

- Greater investment is needed to increase the number of gynaecological oncologists and nursing specialists as well as to improve the resources and administrative support available to them.

- Better communication with patients, especially at the point of formal diagnosis is also required. Patients, specialist nurses and clinicians themselves all reported a general lack of communication skills at the time of diagnosis, possibly due to the pressures on clinicians' time and resources.

- Ovarian cancer researchers said there was also a need for increased tissue gathering during surgery and better arrangements for tissue sharing via a national database.

Pathfinder Study next steps..

Target Ovarian Cancer CEO, Annwen Jones, said that the findings would be used to trigger discussion by the Pathfinder Panel when they meet on February 4, 2009 and help formulate the focus for the next phase of Pathfinder research.

She urged clinicians, medical researchers, GPs, specialist nurses and women with ovarian cancer across the UK who might wish to participate in the Pathfinder Study to visit http://www.targetovarian.org.uk/pathfinder for more information.

Source
Sarah Lie
Target Ovarian Cancer
http://www.targetovarian.org.uk

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