Study finds poor awareness, patient compliance plagues diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer
A global study of women with ovarian cancer has found that two thirds of women had never heard of the disease.
Although nine out of ten had experienced symptoms prior to diagnosis, fewer than half of those women visited a doctor within a month of noticing symptoms.
The World Ovarian Cancer Coalition Every Woman Study is the largest ever review of the experiences of women with ovarian cancer. It includes contributions from the clinical community. It presents a bleak picture of the challenges faced by women with ovarian cancer, and those who care for them.
Ovarian cancer is a common cancer among women in India. Though there are no consolidated figures available, incidence varies across the country from 0.9 to 8.4 per 100,000 person years. A 2009 article in the Indian Journal of Cancer concluded: “Management of ovarian cancer is suboptimal even in the specialized cancer institute. Poor patient compliance to chemotherapy is one of the major factors adversely affecting survival from advanced ovarian cancer.”
Across the world, diagnosis took an estimated average of 31 weeks from a woman experiencing symptoms to her diagnosis; for one in ten women diagnosis took more than a year
Around the world approximately 239,0001 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year and less than half will survive to five years. Studies have shown that around 15% of women die within 2 months of their diagnosis, with age, emergency presentation and co-morbidities placing them at increased risk. Incidence is rising and is expected to reach 371,000 women a year by 2035 – a 55% increase.
The survey of over 1,500 women in 44 countries, reveals:
- Low levels of awareness of ovarian cancer as a global problem resulting in delays in women seeking medical attention
- Lack of awareness among doctors may also be a significant factor when it comes to delays in diagnosis
- Variations in access to genetic testing pre and post diagnosis where there is a family history of ovarian cancer
- Variations in access to specialist treatment – despite this being a vital step that can improve outcomes
- Variations between countries in terms of what is done well and what is most challenging
Nine in ten of the women in the Every Woman Study experienced symptoms prior to diagnosis and of these, eight in ten consulted a doctor – though less than half within a month and one in ten waited six months.
Across the world, diagnosis took an estimated average of 31 weeks from a woman experiencing symptoms to her diagnosis; for one in ten women diagnosis came more than a year after visiting a doctor.
Elisabeth Baugh, Chair of the Coalition, and CEO of Ovarian Cancer Canada says: “We wanted to find out more about the experiences of women with ovarian cancer and identify what needs to be done right now to tackle this marginalised cancer. The results show that this is a global challenge that can only be taken on by the whole community.”
