LB32
The Target Ovarian Cancer Pathfinder Study: first results
Sharon Tate
Target Ovarian Cancer, London, UK
Background
The Target Ovarian Cancer Pathfinder Study is mapping the experiences of
individuals living or working with ovarian cancer across the UK. By pinpointing gaps in knowledge, infrastructure, funding, care and treatment, the
study has already identified opportunities to accelerate improvement in quality
of life and survival for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. A
multidisciplinary panel has overseen the progress of the study and development
of the survey tools used to capture data.
Method
Survey tools captured the experiences of women with ovarian cancer (n=132)
across their patient pathway; and information about roles, workloads and
experiences of clinical nurse specialists (n=57). An online survey
recorded representative attitudes and experiences of GPs (n=400). And a
nationally representative sample of women (n=1000) participated in the
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Measurement Survey. In-depth interviews were carried
out with clinicians and researchers.
Results and Conclusion
The findings from the study identified key areas where progress can be made
in improving quality of life and survival for women with ovarian cancer
including: improving levels of awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer;
helping GPs diagnose ovarian cancer earlier; improving access to emotional and
practical support for all women; championing the role of the clinical nurse
specialist; and improving access to clinical trials and shared resources for
ovarian cancer researchers. On the recommendation of the Target Ovarian Cancer
Pathfinder Advisory Panel, a feasibility study has been commissioned to
establish if an international benchmarking (high resolution) study could provide
good quality evidence to explain the lower observed ovarian cancer survival
rates in the UK as demonstrated in the Eurocare-4 Study.
