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Awareness weeks

Health Awareness Week

 

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

February 2023

Held each year in February to educate Australians on ovarian cancer, and raise awareness by sharing the stories of real women affected by the disease. Ovarian Cancer Australia

UpToDate

Diagnosis

Research

Treatment

Articles

Diagnosis

Research

Treatment

E-books

Journals

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Articles

Diagnosis

Classification of high-grade serous ovarian cancer using tumor morphologic characteristics
Findings of this study suggest that the molecular and metabolic signatures associated with gross morphologic characteristics of HGSOCs have implications for therapeutic strategies and outcomes. JAMA 14 October 2022

Association of raised CA 125/ CEA ratio and positive Ascitic fluid cytology with diagnosis of ovarian cancer in patients with adnexal mass
Most patients who presented with adnexal mass were diagnosed with ovarian carcinoma in our study. Raised CA 125/ CEA ratio and positive ascitic fluid cytology at baseline predicted a histopathological diagnosis of ovarian cancer in our study participants. The professional medical journal 30 December 2022

Validation of models to diagnose ovarian cancer in patients managed surgically or conservatively: multicentre cohort study
This study found the ADNEX models and SRRisk are the best models to distinguish between benign and malignant masses in all patients presenting with an adnexal mass, including those managed conservatively. BMJ 30 July 2020

Analysis of computer-aided diagnostics in the preoperative diagnosis of ovarian cancer: a systematic review
Based on this literature review, different CAD for ultrasound, CT scans and MRI scans seem promising to aid physicians in assessing ovarian tumors through their objective and potentially cost-effective character. However, performance should be evaluated per imaging technique. Prospective and larger datasets with external validation are desired to make their results generalizable. Insights into imaging 15 February 2023

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Research

Mainstream genetic testing for high-grade ovarian, tubal and peritoneal cancers: A tertiary referral centre experience
Mainstreamed genetic testing is feasible, with an acceptable TAT, ensuring adequate opportunity to inform treatment decisions. Tumour testing and inclusion of moderate-risk cancer predisposition genes in mainstreaming represent potential pathways that will require further exploration. Australian and New Zealand journal of obstetrics and gynaecology 13 February 2023

Common analgesics and ovarian cancer survival: the Ovarian cancer Prognosis And Lifestyle (OPAL) Study
These findings confirm a previous study suggesting NSAID use might improve OC survival. Journal of the cancer institute 6 February 2023

Australian fertility preservation guidelines for people with cancer 2022: review and recommendations
The treatment of cancer in premenopausal women of childbearing age is associated with both decreased pregnancy and live birth rates. Women who receive cancer treatment may be more likely to have reduced ovarian reserve than those who have not undergone cancer treatment. MJA 31 October 2022

Healthcare costs before and after diagnosis of cancer of unknown primary versus ovarian cancer in Australia
Pre-diagnosis costs for patients with cancer of unknown primary (CUP) are nearly triple those for ovarian cancer. Six months after diagnosis, healthcare costs for CUP remained higher than for ovarian cancer due to imaging, procedures and medicines. PharmacoEconomics – Open 17 October 2022

Survival after Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy and Primary or Interval Cytoreductive surgery in Ovarian Cancer: A randomized clinical trial
The addition of HIPEC to cytoreductive surgery did not improve progression-free and overall survival in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. Although the results are from a subgroup analysis, the addition of HIPEC to interval cytoreductive surgery provided an improvement of progression-free and overall survival. JAMA 9 March 2022

Patient and clinician decision support to increase genetic counseling for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome in primary care: A cluster randomized clinical trial
This randomized clinical trial did not find a significant increase in genetic counseling uptake among patients who received patient and clinician decision support vs those who received standard education, although more than one-third of the ethnically diverse women enrolled in the intervention underwent genetic counseling. These findings suggest that the main advantage for these high-risk women is the ability to opt for screening and preventive services to decrease their cancer risk. JAMA 18 July 2022

Implementation of comprehensive genomic profiling in ovarian cancer patients: A retrospective analysis
Ovarian cancer is the third most common gynecologic cancer and the eighth most common cause of death from cancer in women. Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) is a test that checks hundreds of genes. Changes in these genes and may help to suggest which anti-cancer treatment may be the most effective for the tested individual. As the test is expensive, and the treatments aimed at treating specific genes related to cancer are both limited and expensive, CGP is not often used. In this study, the authors investigated whether women with ovarian cancer who had the CGP test had better outcomes (i.e., had longer times with no advancing of disease or lived longer) than women who did not have this test. Our results suggest that women who had the CGP test lived longer than those who did not, but more studies are needed to confirm this. Cancers 29 December 2022

Survival analysis and obstetric outcomes in patients with early stage ovarian cancer undergoing fertility-sparing surgery
The observation of significant findings in terms of the rate of recurrence and disease-free survival following fertility-sparing surgery in patients with low-risk early stage ovarian cancer suggests that survival is positively affected in early stage ovarian cancer. Journal of ovarian research 23 December 2022

Purine intake and all-cause mortality in Ovarian Cancer: Results from a prospective cohort study
A high total purine and xanthine intake was linked to a lower risk of OC mortality. Further clarification of these findings is warranted. Nutrients 13 February 2023

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Treatment

Treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is the third most common gynecologic malignancy worldwide but accounts for the highest mortality rate among these cancers. A stepwise approach to assessment, diagnosis, and treatment is vital to appropriate management of this disease process. An integrated approach with gynecologic oncologists as well as medical oncologists, pathologists, and radiologists is of paramount importance to improving outcomes. Surgical cytoreduction to R0 is the mainstay of treatment, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Genetic testing for gene mutations that affect treatment is the standard of care for all women with epithelial ovarian cancer. Nearly all women will have a recurrence, and the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer continues to be nuanced and requires extensive review of up to date modalities that balance efficacy with the patient’s quality of life. Maintenance therapy with poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors, bevacizumab, and/or drugs targeting homologous recombination deficiency is becoming more widely used in the treatment of ovarian cancer, and the advancement of immunotherapy is further revolutionizing treatment targets. BMJ 9 November 2020

Updates and new options in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer treatment
The medical and surgical treatment strategies for women with epithelial ovarian cancer continue to evolve. In the past several years, there has been significant progress backed by landmark clinical trials. Obstetrics and gynecology 1 December 2020

A signature based on glycosyltransferase genes provides a promising tool for the prediction of prognosis and immunotherapy responsiveness in ovarian cancer
Taken together, the authors established a reliable GT-gene-based signature to predict prognosis, immune status and identify Ovarian cancer (OC) patients who would benefit from immune checkpoint blockade therapies (ICBs). GT genes might be a promising biomarker for OC progression and a potential therapeutic target for OC. Journal of ovarian research 7 January 2022

The effects of neutral argon plasma versus electrocoagulation on tissue in advanced-stage ovarian cancer: a case series
This case series suggests that the use of neutral argon plasma during cytoreductive surgery produces significantly less thermal damage than electrocoagulation treatment. It is therefore considered a thermally safe alternative, aiding in the achievement of cytoreductive surgery. Journal of ovarian research 29 December 2022

Prediction of the treatment response in ovarian cancer: a ctDNA approach
In the case of ovarian carcinoma, growing pre-clinical and clinical studies underscored promising application of ctDNA in diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of treatment response. In this review, the authors accumulate and highlight recent molecular findings of ctDNA analysis and its associations with treatment response and patient outcome. Additionally, they discussed the potential application of ctDNA in the personalized treatment of ovarian carcinoma. Journal of ovarian research 19 October 2020

Safety and anti-tumor activity of lisavanbulin administered as 48-hour infusion in patients with ovarian cancer or recurrent glioblastoma: a phase 2a study
This study demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile of 48-hour continuous IV infusion of lisavanbulin in patients with solid extracranial tumors or glioblastoma. Investigational new drugs 16 February 2023

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E-books

This is just a sample of the e-books the library subscribes to – you will need your library login

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Journals

This is just a sample of the journals the library subscribes to – you will need your library login

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Previous Awareness Weeks

Missed out on a previous awareness week? You can now see previous awareness weeks here.