Focus now on OVARIAN CANCER and drive for significant improvement in survival rates
(Friday 4th Feb) On World Cancer Day (WCD) 2022 and acknowledging the international ‘#ClosetheCareGap’ theme, the Living Well Cancer Programme based at the Mater University Hospital is pleased to announce the launch of Phase Two of the ThisisGo.ie PLATFORM which will focus on providing more information and support for women affected by ovarian cancer.
The platform (on-line portal) which was developed ‘by patients for patients’ in partnerships with healthcare professionals, was launched in Sept 2021 and is aiming to change the landscape in how we support those with gynaecological cancers, including cervical, ovarian, endometrial, vulval and vaginal cancers.
Speaking about the focus now on ovarian cancer on the ThisisGo.ie platform, Prof Donal Brennan, Professor of Gynaecological Oncology, UCD and Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist, Mater and St Vincent’s University Hospitals, Dublin said ‘Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common type among women in Ireland with over 400 new cases diagnosed each year. Often diagnosed at an advanced stage due to the silent nature of signs and symptoms, the five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer in Ireland is 36% which is amongst the lowest in Europe. Survival rates are starting to improve largely as a result of more centralised surgical care, new and more effective drugs and better supports for women and their families’
‘However, there are still significant deficits in the provision of information and support for women affected by ovarian cancer, so we are working, whilst acknowledging the power of cooperation and collection action, to provide this one-stop shop for these women, their families and HCPs via ThisisGO.ie’ continued Professor Brennan.
Also speaking about the on-going development of the ThisisGO.ie platform, Yvonne O’Meara Women’s Cancer Survivorship Research Coordinator, UCD School of Medicine said ‘The platform includes over 140 different articles, videos, podcasts, useful resources, symptom tracker, decoding the science and service directory content. These materials address every stage of the ovarian cancer diagnosis, treatment and life with and after this cancer. The platform also supports HCPs in their clinical practice, offering useful articles such as How to Break Bad News and How to take a Sexual History from a Patient.’
ThisisGO.ie is kindly supported by the Irish Cancer Society through its Women’s Health Initiative and by UCD Clinical Research Centre (CRC), OvaCare, GSK, Pfizer and patient donations.
Please see https://thisisgo.ie/