Women who have had a diagnosis of ovarian cancer from across the UK put their questions to world-renowned experts at the UK’s leading ovarian cancer conference. The ‘Ask the Experts’ conference, organised by Target Ovarian Cancer, took place at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Birmingham on Tuesday 14 June 2016. Every year, 678 people are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the West Midlands, and 422 lose their lives.
Local healthcare professionals and experts joined others from across the UK for the trailblazing conference which delivered the latest news in ovarian cancer research, diagnosis and treatment. Ask the Experts was chaired by Professor Henry Kitchener (Professor of Gynaecological Oncology at the University of Manchester, and Chair of Target Ovarian Cancer’s Scientific Advisory Board) and Annwen Jones, Chief Executive of Target Ovarian Cancer, and was streamed live on the day.
A theme of Science, theory and advances in ovarian cancer brought together local experts Mrs Sudha Sundar, Consultant in Gynaecological Oncology at City Hospital and University of Birmingham Senior Lecturer, and Mr Janos Balega, Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist at City Hospital. Joining them was Mr Adam Rosenthal from University College London, Dr Andrew Clamp from The Christie in Manchester, and a host of leading scientists funded by Target Ovarian Cancer, who spoke about their cutting-edge ovarian cancer research.
Representatives for support centres Penny Brohn UK and Target Ovarian Cancer lay Research Advocates offered a wide-ranging view of ovarian cancer at the conference, enabling women to explore all aspects of the disease, support available, and ways in which they can take action to affect the ovarian cancer landscape for the whole of the UK.
Clare Godfrey from Great Barr was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2006, and will attend the conference on 15 June. She said: “Ovarian cancer is a little-talked about disease and yet 7,000 people are diagnosed each year in the UK. Having a conference where women who have had a diagnosis of ovarian cancer can come together and crucially, speak to experts in this field, is ground breaking.
Mr Janos Balega, Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist at City Hospital, who conducts surgery on women with ovarian cancer, said: “I strongly believe that high quality surgery brings about a good outcome for patients with ovarian cancer.
“I know that Target Ovarian cancer feels the same, and is passionate about improving the lives of women with ovarian cancer everywhere. It’s a great privilege to speak today and support a charity who shares this opinion and does so much good work for people with ovarian cancer.”
Annwen Jones, Chief Executive of Target Ovarian Cancer and co-chair of the conference, said: “The Ask the Experts conference is a unique coming together of women with ovarian cancer and leading ovarian cancer clinicians and scientists. I am proud that Target Ovarian Cancer is playing host to such an influential group of experts in the field. Thanks to them, women who have had a diagnosis of ovarian cancer will be able to ask the questions that matter to them.”
Ovarian cancer can be devastating. Many women are diagnosed too late, once the cancer has already spread. This makes treatment more difficult. Currently, 46 per cent of women will live five years after being diagnosed. If a woman is diagnosed at the earliest stage of the disease, her chance of surviving for five years or more doubles to 90 per cent.
