A groundbreaking national study by the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) and National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre (NBOCC) will provide the first national data about the treatment received by women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Australia.
“The study reviewed the treatment received by women in Australia with ovarian cancer a year after the release of the evidence-based guidelines, Clinical practice guidelines for the management of women with epithelial ovarian cancer,” said Dr Penny Webb, Head of the Gynaecological Cancers Laboratory, QIMR.
Preliminary findings from the analysis of approximately 1,000 Australian women with invasive ovarian cancer found that overall 83% of the women underwent surgery and, among this group:
– Over 80% were operated on by a specialist gynaecologic-oncologist
– More than 90% for whom chemotherapy is recommended received this treatment
– In over 90% of cases a gynaecologic-oncologist was consulted at some stage.
Despite improvements in survival rates in recent years, the prognosis for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer remains poor. Only four out of 10 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer will be alive five years after diagnosis. Ensuring women receive care that is supported by evidence is crucial for improving outcomes for women with ovarian cancer.
“The clinical practice guidelines recommend surgery as the cornerstone of management of ovarian cancer, followed by chemotherapy (where appropriate). The guidelines also recommend that the care of women with ovarian cancer should be directed by a gynaecological oncologist to improve survival,” said Dr Helen Zorbas, CEO, NBOCC. “The findings of the study to date demonstrate the majority of women were treated in accordance with these recommendations.”
Dr Zorbas said that while the preliminary findings are very encouraging, further analysis will explore variations in treatment and the reasons for this. This will help to inform interventions, such as training or information for clinicians.
On average, three women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every day in Australia, making it the ninth most common cancer for Australian women.
Source: National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre
QIMR