Advertisement

Ovarian cancer treatment offering hope

A new type of ovarian cancer treatment, that once cost thousands, is now available for women at the cost of a normal prescription.

It is expected to prolong life for the 1400 Australian women who get the disease every year.

Two years ago, Jane Ford became a mum. She describes it as ‘undeniably the best day of my life’.

Six months later she had the worst day of her life after being diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer.

The 46-year-old is a drama teacher, so she knows how to put on a show with her baby boy. But beneath the bravado is a woman riddled with heartache.

“Am I going to get to see my son grow up?” she said.

“Am I going to get to see him go to school, have his first date, drive his car."

Jane was diagnosed with ovarian cancer just six months after giving birth.
Jane was diagnosed with ovarian cancer just six months after giving birth.

Ovarian cancer is brutal. Five years after diagnosis only 43 per cent of women survive, ompared with 89 per cent of breast cancer patients.

Oncologist Dr Sally Baron-Hay said: “In the last sort of 20 years we really haven't improved on the treatment of ovarian cancer, for the first time we now have a drug we can offer these women.”

That drug is called Avastin. It is not a cure but an affordable treatment that slows the tumour's growth.

The main reason Ovarian cancer is so deadly is because the symptoms are so subtle and by the time a patient finally sees her doctor, it's often too late.

Those symptoms are; Bloating or increased abdominal size, pelvic pain, loss of appetite, feeling full quickly and frequent urination. Small signs with huge consequences.

Jane lost her ovaries, uterus, spleen, appendix and parts of her diaphragm and bowel.

She says: "It feels like there's almost nothing left inside sometimes."

There is: A very big heart.