Kiwi women are being urged by a Talk Peach Gynaecological Cancer Foundation survivor to learn to recognise the symptoms of ovarian cancer, with rates in New Zealand expected to grow 29 per cent by 2035, according to World Health Organisation data.
Wāhine Māori and Pacific women are generally at higher risk of ovarian cancer compared with those of European/Other ethnic groups. Notably, Samoa and Fiji have the world’s highest rates of mortality from this disease.
Research shows about 70 per cent of women with advanced ovarian cancer will relapse after initial treatment, however, while not a cure, the drug Zejula may reduce the likelihood of death or the disease progressing by up to 38 per cent when compared with patients who were administered a placebo during a trial.
According to Ministry of Health data, ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cause of cancer death for New Zealand women. Every 48 hours, about one Kiwi woman is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and one also dies from it.
WHO data shows the incidence of the disease in New Zealand is projected to increase 29 per cent by 2035.
The risk from the disease is highest for Māori and Pacific peoples, with mortality rates about a third higher for these ethnicities, when compared with the European/Other ethnic groups.
Ovarian cancer survivor Tash Crosby is urging New Zealand women to get checked out.
Unfortunately, because the early-stage disease is usually asymptomatic and symptoms of late-stage disease are non-specific, a large proportion of women are diagnosed when ovarian cancer is well advanced.
Symptoms of the disease may include having a bloated abdomen, always feeling full, discomfort, pressure, or pain in the abdomen or pelvic area, change in bowel habits, fatigue, kidney or bladder problems, abnormal vaginal bleeding or weight changes for no reason.
Tash Crosby, ovarian cancer survivor and founder of Talk Peach Gynaecological Cancer Foundation, says early detection of ovarian cancer is vital.
She says it’s important that women are proactive about their health and visit the doctor with all concerns about symptoms of the disease.
“The majority of women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed at the later stages of the disease and treatment options become more limited,” Crosby said.
“With early detection the statistics for survival change quite drastically between each stage — catching the disease in the initial stages could have a significant impact on life longevity.
“In the past, there was a bit of a stigma attached to anything ‘gynae’ and it was often referred to as ‘stomach issues’ by some women. We need to make sure we are having open and frank conversations because they have the potential to save lives.
“It is also important to understand the symptoms and talk with whānau about any family history of ovarian or breast cancer as these cancers can result from mutations (changes) in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that are passed on in families. There are several types of gynaecological cancer, and cervical smear tests will not show ovarian cancer.
“A lot of women are busy and they put their family first, but they need to also prioritise themselves and their own health,” Crosby said.
A new, publicly funded treatment option, which has been registered under the name Zejula, is available to women with advanced epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer, when the disease has responded to platinum-based chemotherapy.
GSK medical director Brett Marett says with the burden of ovarian cancer expected to increase within New Zealand and globally, the development of treatment options was critical.
He says PARP inhibitors are a targeted cancer therapy that are showing significant promise in international research, helping to increase the length of time before the cancer progresses for those living with the disease.
This newly funded treatment option for ovarian cancer may offer hope for the many Kiwi women and their whānau that are affected by this disease each year, he says.
