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Awareness weeks guide

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

February is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Each year in Australia around 1,815 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In most cases the cancer will be diagnosed at an advanced stage, where it is very difficult to treat. Ovarian Cancer Australia

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Screening

Research

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Articles

Mental health

Psychosocial interventions for ovarian cancer survivors: A systematic review
While the evidence base largely support positive effects of psychosocial interventions for ovarian cancer survivors, this finding is constrained by heterogeneity of interventions and modest gains. Future research may explore the standardisation of psychosocial interventions for this demographic, investigating its effects on less explored but prevalent concerns among ovarian cancer survivors such as fear of cancer recurrence and sexual dysfunction. Psycho-Oncology 2 January 2024

Mental health and diet quality after primary treatment for ovarian cancer
Anxiety or depression after primary treatment for ovarian cancer may be associated with poorer diet quality. Efforts to improve diet quality post-treatment should consider support for mental health. Nutrition and dietetics 9 January 2024

Fear of cancer recurrence in ovarian cancer caregivers: A qualitative study
Caregivers supporting people with ovarian cancer experience worries and concerns related to cancer recurrence or progression. These experiences are conceptually different to survivor experiences. Fear of one's family member dying, and the dual nature of caregiver protection/self-protection mean it is imperative that interventions are tailored specifically to caregiver needs. Future research facilitating the development of appropriate measures and interventions is essential to reduce caregiver fear of cancer recurrence (FCR). Psycho-Oncology 4 December 2023

Patients' perceived challenges, competencies, and supportive care needs during acute clinical treatment of breast or gynecological cancer
Supportive care needs (SCN) regarding psychological concerns and health behavior should be addressed in acute cancer care and rehabilitation programs. In addition, promoting HL might be essential in strengthening patients' subjective competencies related to various coping tasks. Psycho-Oncology 15 February 2023

The comparison of functional status and health-related parameters in ovarian cancer survivors with healthy controls
The findings suggest functional status, and health-related parameters are negatively affected in ovarian cancer (OC) survivors. Additionally, higher levels of fatigue, neuropathy anxiety, and depression were reported in advanced OC survivors. Supportive care in cancer 22 January 2024

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Screening

Mainstream genetic testing for high-grade ovarian, tubal and peritoneal cancers: A tertiary referral centre experience
Mainstreamed genetic testing is feasible, with an acceptable turnaround time (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

Towards ovarian cancer screening with protein biomarkers using dried, self-sampled cervico-vaginal fluid
Highlights

  • Dried cervico-vaginal fluid (CVF) on paper cards is suitable for proteomics
  • The CVF proteome is heterogenous, based on mass spectrometry data
  • Several biomarker candidates for ovarian cancer were found in the CVF proteome

iScience 24 January 2024

Combined population genomic screening for three high-risk conditions in Australia: a modelling study
This modeling study assessed the impact of offering combined genomic screening for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, Lynch syndrome and familial hypercholesterolaemia to all young adults in Australia, compared with the current practice of clinical criteria-based testing for each condition separately. eClinicalMedicine 8 November 2023

Modern aspects of the use of magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer
At present, ovarian malignancies occupy the third place among gynecologic cancers, being the main cause of death among female reproductive diseases. Due to the lack of effective screening programs and asymptomatic course in the early stages, ovarian cancer is most often detected in disseminated stages, which reduces the effectiveness of primary treatment and worsens the prognosis. Therefore, timely diagnosis, implementation of screening and careful monitoring of ovarian cancer recurrences are becoming key tasks in oncology. This review reviews the experience of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis of primary ovarian cancer and its recurrence, and analyzes the effectiveness of this method taking into account different approaches. Modern MRI capabilities provide extensive information about the characteristics of ovarian masses, the spread of primary cancer and its recurrence. However, a review of the literature revealed a lack of research on the diagnostic capabilities of various MRI techniques, including diffusion weighted images (DWI). This underscores the need for more extensive research in this area World bulletin of public health 22 January 2024

High-grade serous Ovarian Cancer—A risk factor puzzle and screening fugitive
High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most lethal tumor of the female genital tract. Despite extensive studies and the identification of some precursor lesions like serous tubal intraepithelial cancer (STIC) or the deviated mutational status of the patients (BRCA germinal mutation), the pathophysiology of HGSOC and the existence of particular risk factors is still a puzzle. Moreover, a lack of screening programs results in delayed diagnosis, which is accompanied by a secondary chemo-resistance of the tumor and usually results in a high recurrence rate after the primary therapy. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify the substantial risk factors for both predisposed and low-risk populations of women, as well as to create an economically and clinically justified screening program. This paper reviews the classic and novel risk factors for HGSOC and methods of diagnosis and prediction, including serum biomarkers, the liquid biopsy of circulating tumor cells or circulating tumor DNA, epigenetic markers, exosomes, and genomic and proteomic biomarkers. The novel future complex approach to ovarian cancer diagnosis should be devised based on these findings, and the general outcome of such an approach is proposed and discussed in the paper. Biomedicines 19 January 2024

Artificial intelligence in ultrasound diagnoses of Ovarian Cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis
According to cancer research statistics, there are 7500 new ovarian cancer diagnoses in the UK each year. An earlier detection of ovarian cancer leads to a better prognosis; however, there is currently no screening programme for ovarian cancer, and detection using ultrasound examinations remains challenging. The use of artificial intelligence in gynaecological ultrasound examinations aims to improve the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound for ovarian cancer and improve outcomes for patients. This review aims to collate current research on AI in the ultrasound diagnosis of ovarian cancer and suggests the usefulness of incorporating this into clinical care. Cancers 19 January 2024

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Research

Single-cell and transcriptomic analyses reveal the influence of diabetes on ovarian cancer
This study revealed the shared gene interaction network between ovarian cancer (OC) and diabetes mellitus (DM) and predicted the TFs and miRNAs associated with core genes in monocytes. Our research findings contribute to identifying potential biological mechanisms underlying the relationship between OC and DM. BMC genomics 2 January 2024

Pre-operative malnutrition in patients with Ovarian Cancer: What are the clinical implications? Results of a prospective study
In the literature, between 30% and 80% of all patients with cancer are reported to be malnourished or cachectic. The objectives of this study included identifying the risk factors for malnutrition in patients with ovarian cancer, determining the diagnostic relevance of the commonest methods used to assess nutritional status in these patients, and evaluating the predictive and prognostic values of malnutrition in patients with primary and relapsed ovarian cancer. The authors found malnutrition as an independent predictor of incomplete cytoreduction and an independent prognostic factor for poor overall survival. Preoperative nutritional assessment is an effective tool in the identification of high-risk groups of ovarian cancer characterized by poor clinical outcome. Cancers 31 January 2024

Research progress in intratumoral heterogeneity and clinical significance of ovarian cancer
In this article, recent advances in the study of intratumoral heterogeneity, molecular mechanism of intratumoral heterogeneity, systematic evolution and quantification and clinical significance of tumor heterogeneity were reviewed. Medicine 26 January 2024

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Treatment

Advances in artificial intelligence for the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer (Review)
Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a crucial technique for extracting high‑throughput information from various sources, including medical images, pathological images, and genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics data. AI has been widely used in the field of diagnosis, for the differentiation of benign and malignant ovarian cancer (OC), and for prognostic assessment, with favorable results. Notably, AI‑based radiomics has proven to be a non‑invasive, convenient and economical approach, making it an essential asset in a gynecological setting. The present study reviews the application of AI in the diagnosis, differentiation and prognostic assessment of OC. It is suggested that AI‑based multi‑omics studies have the potential to improve the diagnostic and prognostic predictive ability in patients with OC, thereby facilitating the realization of precision medicine. Oncology reports 19 January 2024

The use of intraperitoneal chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer – The experience of a tertiary referral Carmel
This cohort had a high rate of completion of Intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy with excellent rates of completion of six cycles of any treatment. The relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS)  in the IP chemotherapy group were comparable to each other and reflected those in the published literature. A significantly higher proportion of patients in the IP cohort were alive at ten years than in the intravenous (IV) cohort. Australian and New Zealand journal of obstetrics and gynaecology 22 November 2023

Safety and feasibility of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy during interval cytoreductive surgery in patients with advanced high-grade serous ovarian, fallopian tube, peritoneal cancer in an Australian context
While judicious patient selection is imperative, hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) during cytoreduction surgery (CRS) was well tolerated by all patients and morbidity was comparable to results from the previously reported OVHIPEC-1 trial. HIPEC appears to be a safe and feasible addition to CRS for the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer in Australian practice. Australian and New Zealand journal of obstetrics and gynaecology 31 May 2023

Antibody–drug conjugates in ovarian cancer
This review article explores the current state of Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs)  in ovarian cancer and their potential to improve outcomes in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer, especially in the platinum-resistant setting. memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology 25 January 2024

Predictive value of machine learning for Platinum Chemotherapy responses in Ovarian Cancer: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Machine learning can effectively predict how patients with ovarian cancer respond to platinum-based chemotherapy and may provide a reference for the development or updating of subsequent scoring systems. Journal of medical internet research 27 April 2023

Patient-focused treatment decisions in the management of Ovarian Cancer: Managed care considerations in the evolving role of PARP Inhibitors
Significant advances in the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer have been made over the last decade. One of these advances is the use of poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. Although initially approved as later-line treatment, these agents are now used for maintenance therapy after a complete or partial response to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Journal of managed care medicine 25 January 2024

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Journals

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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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