Ovarian Cancer at ASCO 2025 by Clara MacKay

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It was great to be back in Chicago for this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting. A highlight of these meetings is always the opportunity to meet with leaders in the global cancer advocacy movement and 2025 did not disappoint! I was able to catch up with colleagues from the Global Cancer Coalitions Network (GCCN) to work on our plans for the coming year. And it was especially good to meet up with cancer advocates Runcie Chidebe, Eva Schumacher-Wulf, Bar Levy, Shabnam Gujadhur, Irene Benson, Aleksandras Filicevas, Nicole Sheahan, Andrew Spiegel, and Roberta Ventura.

This year’s program had some exciting ovarian cancer developments. This included encouraging results from a Phase 3 trial (ROSELLA) for treatment of women whose ovarian cancer becomes resistant to platinum-based treatments, referred to as platinum resistant ovarian cancer, or PROC. With so many women eventually developing PROC and with so few existing treatment options, it is genuinely wonderful that there is hope for a treatment that could help these women live longer and better with their disease.

There was more good news from a Phase 2 trial (IMNN-001) for a potential new treatment for those diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer. This research is still early stage, but the results show that women in the trial receiving this treatment had better survival and longer periods of time before their ovarian cancer progressed.

There was continued excitement at ASCO about the first ever approval of a treatment for low-grade-serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC) – with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) giving accelerated approval for AVMAPKI FAKZYNJA CO-PACK on May 8th – World Ovarian Cancer Day! Another historic moment giving new options to women who previously had very few.

It was an honour to have our World Ovarian Cancer Coalition abstract “The socioeconomic burden of ovarian cancer in 11 countries” accepted for publication by ASCO. I also attended some excellent gynecologic cancer track poster sessions, including a proof-of-concept study on Nurse Led Genetic Counselling and Awareness presented by Asima Mukhopadhyay, a member of the Coalition’s Global Expert Advisory Group on Ovarian Cancer.  

There is so much more work to tackle this disease, but these advances tell us that we are starting to make proper treatment inroads, especially for women with hard to treat or rarer subtypes. For those living with an ovarian cancer diagnosis, caregivers, families, and advocates, this year’s ASCO meeting offered a strong message of hope: progress is being made, and more options are becoming available to help women live longer, better lives.

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World Ovarian Cancer Coalition Launches Global Expert Advisory Group on Ovarian Cancer

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From Evidence to Action: New initiative unites leading global health voices on the most lethal of female cancers  

 

 

TORONTO – May 8, 2025 – As the world marks World Ovarian Cancer Day (#WOCD2025), the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition (the Coalition) announces the formation of the Global Expert Advisory Group on Ovarian Cancer, a new initiative to elevate ovarian cancer as a global health priority. 

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal of female cancers. With no reliable screening test, low awareness and significant diagnostic barriers, millions of lives are at stake – particularly in low-and-middle income countries where the burden is disproportionately high. Without urgent action, the world could lose eight million women to ovarian cancer by 2050.

The newly formed Global Expert Advisory Group on Ovarian Cancer brings together patient advocates, leading clinicians and policy makers from around the world. The group’s mission is to develop a comprehensive framework for a global ovarian cancer strategy that will have an impact at country level to ensure that everyone living with, or at risk of, ovarian cancer has the best chance of survival and the best quality of life possible, no matter where they live. The group has identified three critical areas of focus:

  • Building Community and Policymaker Awareness
  • Optimising Routes to Diagnosis
  • Access to Services and Treatment for Hereditary Ovarian Cancer 

The Group draws members from 12 nations across six continents, and is chaired by World Ovarian Cancer Coalition Board Member (and past Chair) Annwen Jones OBE and Assoc. Professor Tracey Adams, a Gynaecological Oncologist at Groote Schuur Hospital University of Cape Town, South Africa. “This is a global challenge that demands a global response,” said the Co-Chairs. “Alongside the key areas of focus, we plan to set a target for a reduction in global ovarian cancer mortality in a similar vein to the global breast cancer initiative.”

The announcement builds on the findings from the Coalition’s most recent studies: the Socioeconomic Burden of Ovarian Cancer in 11 Countries and the groundbreaking Every Woman Study™: Low- and Middle-Income Edition. These studies revealed:

  • Exceptionally low awareness of ovarian cancer among women globally
  • A lack of knowledge about genetic risk including the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations
  • The huge socioeconomic burden of the disease on families, healthcare systems and national economies

 

The Group’s members are: 

  • Dr. Carlos Andrade, Assistant at Gynecologic Oncology Department, Barretos Cancer Hospítal (Brazil) 
  • Dr. Garth Funston, Lecturer, Wolfson Institute of Population Health (UK)  
  • Nimkee Gupta, Patient advocate (India and Luxembourg)
  • Jennifer Hollington, Retired assistant deputy minister in the Government of Canada, Patient advocate (Canada)
  • Dilyara Kaidarova, MD, PhD, Prof., First Vice-Rector, Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University (Kazakhstan)
  • Bar Levy, CEO, HaBait Shel Bar- Israel’s Women’s Cancer Association, Patient Advocate (Israel)
  • Prof. Ranjit Manchanda, Professor of Gynaecological Oncology, Wolfson Institute of Population Health (UK)
  • Prof. Ursula Matulonis, Chief, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (US)
  • Dr. Asima Mukhopadhyay, Founder and Director, KolGOTrg, Gynaecological Oncologist/Surgeon, James Cook University Hospital and Newcastle University (India and UK)
  • Dr. Aisha Mustapha, Consultant Obstetrician Gynaecologist, Ahmadu Bello University (Nigeria)
  • Dr. Florencia Noll, Head of Unit, Sanatario Allende Cerro (Argentina)
  • Prof. Amit Oza, Head, Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (Canada)
  • Sarah Powell, CEO, Inherited Cancers Australia (Australia)
  • Prof. Basel Refky, Oncology Center, Mansoura University (Egypt)
  • Dr. Ritu Salani, Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA (US)
  • Sbba Siddique, Patient advocate (UK)
  • Prof. Sudha Sundar, Gynaecological oncology, University of Birmingham (UK)
  • Carolyn Taylor, Founder & Executive Director, Global Focus on Cancer (US)
  • Dr. Julie Torode, Director Strategic Partnerships, Patient and Community Engagement, Institute of Cancer Policy, Kings College of London, and Board Member, World Ovarian Cancer Coalition (Switzerland and UK)

 

About the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition
The World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, the only global not-for-profit organization focused solely on ovarian cancer, was established in 2016 and comprises over 200 patient advocacy group members in 37 countries. We work globally to ensure that everyone living with, or at risk of, ovarian cancer has the best chance of survival and the best quality of life, no matter where they live. To learn more, visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube. 

 

Media contacts:

Annabel Deegan

media@worldovariancancercoalition.org

Helen Shik

Helen@worldovariancancercoalition.org

 

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World Ovarian Cancer Coalition Leads Global Campaign to Raise Awareness of Ovarian Cancer

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May 8th is World Ovarian Cancer Day, uniting the call to make ovarian cancer a global health priority 

Latest study finds significantly low awareness of ovarian cancer among women globally

 

TORONTO –  May 5, 2025 – World Ovarian Cancer Day (#WOCD2025) is May 8th, when the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition and its 200 partner organizations from around the globe   raise their collective voices to increase awareness of ovarian cancer and advocate for the global health community to recognise ovarian cancer as a health priority and boost crucial awareness efforts in order to save lives.

World Ovarian Cancer Coalition Global Ambassador and best-selling novelist, Deborah Harkness says, “If your body is telling you something isn’t right, LISTEN TO IT. I urge women to know the signs of ovarian cancer, make sure that you take this list of symptoms to your doctor to advocate for the right testing and the right follow-through care. Women and their doctors must be better informed about the symptoms of ovarian cancer so that they can take action. If we do this, we will truly leave no woman behind in the challenge of facing ovarian cancer.”

What women should know:
 The five most common symptoms of ovarian cancer:

  •  Persistent bloating
  •  Difficulty eating
  •  Feeling full quickly
  •  Pelvic/abdominal pain
  •  Urinary changes

Lack of knowledge of ovarian cancer creates significant delays in diagnosis and starting treatment

Our Every Woman Study™: Low-and Middle-Income Edition, which documented the experiences of over 2400 women living with ovarian cancer in 22 low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), found that just one in four women (26.1%) said they had heard of ovarian cancer and knew something about it prior to their own diagnosis. This varied by country from as low as 3.3% (Nepal) to 63.2% (Uzbekistan). This stark lack of awareness is not just the case for LMICs. According to our first Every Woman Study in 2018, over two-thirds of women in high-income countries had not heard of ovarian cancer or knew anything about it prior to their own diagnosis. There is a direct link between awareness and diagnosis. The 2018 study revealed that women with more knowledge of ovarian cancer were more likely to visit their doctor within three months.

The theme this #WOCD2025 is once again “No Woman Left Behind” 

World Ovarian Cancer Coalition CEO, Clara MacKay says, “No matter where she lives, every woman with ovarian cancer deserves the earliest possible diagnosis and the best possible care. Accelerating diagnosis efforts and radically boosting awareness is not just a global health and economic imperative – it’s a matter of equality and justice.”

If action is not taken to change the status quo, 12 million women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and eight million women will die from the disease by 2050. Ovarian cancer must be integrated into global women’s health initiatives and National Cancer Control Plans to change these stats.

Now in its 13th year, World Ovarian Cancer Day unites individuals and organizations to raise awareness about ovarian cancer and advocate for better care and treatment for those affected by the disease. To help support #WOCD2025, see the Get Involved Guide for social media  artwork and other digital assets. Follow the Coalition on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

 

Media contacts:

Annabel Deegan

media@worldovariancancercoalition.org

Helen Shik

Helen@worldovariancancercoalition.org

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Clinician insights on the opportunities and challenges in ovarian cancer in LMIC

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The June issue of the Journal of Cancer Policy includes the recent qualitative study with clinicians conducted as part of the multi-country observational Every Woman Study™ (EWS). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinicians between June 2022 and June 2023. The interview guide was developed by the EWS LMIC Oversight Committee, including patients, clinicians and data specialists. 24 clinicians participated representing Africa, Asia and Latin America. 

This study reveals the complexity of ovarian cancer treatment and care in LMICs and the need to mitigate disparities in these regions, underscoring the need for patient-centred, context specific and intersectoral strategies to be considered in cancer planning to improve ovarian cancer care quality and equity in LMICs.

The study, titled, Challenges and opportunities in ovarian cancer care: A qualitative study of clinician perspectives from 24 low- and middle-income countries, can be found here. 

The Coalition’s CEO, Clara MacKay, sat down with co-lead authors, Anmol Bajwa and Runcie C.W. Chidebe to dive deeper into the key themes of the report and considerations for improving access to diagnostics and therapies. 

Clara: You spoke to clinicians from 24 countries, each with unique health systems and cultural contexts. Was there a common thread you noticed across these very different settings?

Anmol: Even though each country has its own health system, cultural backdrop, and set of challenges, a common thread that ran through almost every conversation was that women were often reaching care too late. The reasons why were far more complex than they appeared on the surface. Whether in low-, lower-middle-, or upper-middle-income countries, clinicians described how financial barriers, gaps in infrastructure, cultural beliefs, and fear of treatment side effects all intertwined to impact diagnosis and care. It made me realize that, while the nature and weight of the barriers varied from country to country, the experience of facing layers of obstacles was something women shared almost everywhere. What also stood out was how personal these barriers were. These weren’t just about access to a hospital, but about trust, about healthcare autonomy, about hope. It challenged me to think differently about how we talk about “access” in global health — not as a single issue to solve, but as a journey full of moments where support or failure can profoundly shape outcomes.

Clara: What conversations or moments during the interviews with these clinicians have stayed with you the most – and why?

Anmol: There are so many moments that have stayed with me, but one in particular continues to echo in my mind. A clinician from a lower-middle-income country shared how women often arrived at the hospital only when their disease had advanced to the point where the pain was unbearable. I remember the clinician pausing for a moment before saying, almost quietly, “It’s not that they don’t want treatment. It’s that the road to treatment is filled with barriers we don’t always see.” That moment stayed with me because it captured something so important — that the obstacles women face aren’t always visible from the outside. Additionally, there was also a deep and painful honesty in how clinicians spoke about the limitations they faced. It wasn’t just frustration about not having enough resources. It was a real sense of responsibility, and sometimes heartbreak, knowing exactly what their patients needed but being unable to provide it. However, despite the barriers faced by the women with ovarian cancer as well as clinicians, what stood out most was a sense of resilience and hope that has stayed with me and continues to shape how I think about health systems.

Clara: How did hearing these stories from clinicians – often on the frontlines – change how you see the barriers women face when seeking ovarian cancer care?

Anmol: Hearing directly from clinicians on the frontlines was incredibly eye-opening. When I conducted these interviews, I was a Master’s student in Health Policy, and I came into the work expecting to hear primarily about resource shortages. But speaking with clinicians made me realize how much deeper and more layered the barriers really are. It’s not just about infrastructure or funding. It’s about women living hours away from the nearest specialist, needing permission to travel, or placing their trust first in traditional healers because that’s what feels familiar. Fear, stigma, and financial strain quietly shape every step of the journey to care. These barriers are structural, cultural, and emotional. They also do not exist in isolation; they stack up, making it harder and harder for women to reach care in time. As a health policy student, I had often thought about barriers in terms of infrastructure or financing, words we often use because they fit neatly into policy frameworks. But these conversations made it clear that for the women seeking care, and for the clinicians trying to care for them, health systems aren’t abstract. They are lived experiences.

Clara: There’s a lot of talk about ‘health systems strengthening’ – but this study puts real, personal stories behind that concept. How can this kind of qualitative research help move policy forward?

Runcie: As a patient advocate for better cancer care across Africa, every day I see how systems fail patients, their family caregivers, and professional care teams, not just because of a lack of resources, but because policies are often disconnected from the frontline reality. We must stop blaming the patients for every poor outcome and start blaming the health system that provided poor cancer services to the patients. Health systems have a greater role to play in mitigating the burden of ovarian cancer in almost every setting. This study not only explored the challenges but also described possible sustainable solutions in line with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) building blocks of health systems. The opportunities identified in this study may be valuable for many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We hope that policymakers can use the evidence from this study to inform their decisions on what is more useful and needed for clinicians to improve ovarian care in their countries, rather than assuming what is necessary.

Clara: How do you think this study could shift the global conversation about equity in cancer care -and what role can advocates play in keeping these voices at the centre of it?

Runcie: This research shows that equity isn’t just about funding – it’s about recognizing the need for more global collaboration and partnership for ovarian cancer among organizations such as the World Health Organization, the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the International Gynecologic Cancer Society, and the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition. These global oncology communities have undertaken remarkable work in global campaigns and national policy engagement, utilizing the Global Strategy for Cervical Cancer Elimination and the Global Breast Cancer Initiative. This study explores the need to rethink and consider integration into existing strategies or developing new initiatives. On the other hand, patient advocates can use the results of this study to advocate for policy changes that improve ovarian cancer care in their respective countries. For instance, (i.) advocate for a budget line to pilot access to targeted therapies in a public facility, (ii.) advocate for engagement of more men in ovarian cancer control, (iii.) use the examples of countries with success stories to convince policymakers, (iv.) advocate for quicker payment for cancer medicines by hospitals and many others as published in the study. 

Clara: You have a particular interest in the important role of patient, family, and community engagement in driving improvements- what does this research tell us about that?

Runcie: The research reminds us that cancer care doesn’t happen in isolation – it’s deeply embedded in families and communities. Clinicians often step far beyond their roles to provide emotional, social, and even financial support. That suggests that improving outcomes is partly about trust and engagement with community connections. As a patient advocate, I believe we must invest in the cancer health system if we want to see better outcomes for people with cancer. None of us is immune to cancer; hence, protecting and supporting women with ovarian cancer may be that opportunity to protect and support ourselves or those related to us in the future. 

 

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The Coalition’s CEO, Clara MacKay, to step down later this year

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Toronto – April 3, 2025 – The World Ovarian Cancer Coalition today announced that Chief Executive Officer, Clara MacKay, will be stepping down later this year after eight years at the helm. Under Clara’s leadership, the Coalition has expanded its global community of advocacy organizations, launched important study initiatives that provide data to encourage prioritization of ovarian cancer in health policy globally, and engaged new sponsors to support our shared vision of a world where everyone at risk of, or living with, ovarian cancer has the best possible chance of survival and quality of life, no matter where they live.

Robin Cohen, Chair of the Coalition’s Board of Directors states, “We are deeply grateful for the visionary leadership and unwavering dedication Clara has brought to our organization. Her innovative spirit and commitment to excellence has shaped the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, expanding our reach and increasing our work’s impact around the globe. As she embarks on this new chapter, we wish Clara continued success and know that her legacy will resonate with us for many years to come.”

Clara MacKay joined the Coalition in 2017. Under her guidance and leadership, the Coalition has grown to be a world-leading advocacy organization raising awareness, supporting advocacy and influencing health policy of ovarian cancer.

 

 

Accomplishments of the Coalition in the last eight years under Clara’s leadership include;  

  • Launched The Every Woman Study 2018 Edition and completed the Every Woman Study LMIC Edition in 2024. This means over 4000 women worldwide, living with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, have shared their experiences – representing the largest-ever global survey of women with the disease. The objective was simple: to address the evidence gap and identify a way forward to ensure the best chance of survival and the best quality of life for women with ovarian cancer.
  • Launched the first-of-its-kind study, The Socioeconomic Burden of Ovarian Cancer in 11 Countries Study, that reveals the significant costs and defines actions needed to improve survival and quality of life for ovarian cancer patients and their caregivers.
  • Joined with IGCS to formalize a Strategic Advocacy Partnership to work together on the Every Woman Study LMIC Edition. 
  • Publication of a landmark White Paper addressing the critical challenges and innovative strategies required to tackle hereditary ovarian cancer globally. The report highlights a number of key recommendations aimed at closing gaps in access to genetic testing, leveraging innovative technologies, and addressing disparities across healthcare systems.
  • Appointment of Global Ambassadors to help close gaps in ovarian cancer outcomes. Global Ambassadors support the Coalition’s in its efforts to raise awareness of ovarian cancer, tackle low health literacy, and empower women across the world to take action to improve equitable access to high-quality, affordable care for ovarian cancer.

Clara MacKay, CEO, remarked, “Working for this remarkable organization for the past eight years has been a great privilege and the highlight of my career. I am quite proud of the many programs and studies we have launched and equally grateful to our team, our board, our advocacy organization partners, patient ambassadors and sponsors for their partnership and commitment to our mission.”

 

 

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Dispatch from Seattle: The Coalition attends SGO 2025 by Clara MacKay

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The Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer is an important touchpoint for the entire community – clinicians, researchers, and those of us in advocacy. A key opportunity to learn about the latest advancements in gynecologic cancer treatment and research.

With no effective screening tool, ovarian cancer prevention remains a crucial area of exploration. The latest update at SGO 2025 on the TUBA-WISP II study was a particularly welcome addition to the program. This study, focused on women at high risk of inherited ovarian cancer, prioritizes preserving quality of life without compromising the benefits of risk-reducing surgery – an essential consideration for those facing these decisions.

The program also included an update on study data highlighting the benefits
of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in treating platinum-resistant ovarian
cancer. ADCs are the new players in ovarian cancer treatment – this is an
encouraging development with significant potential.

Most importantly, it was a privilege and a joy to witness ovarian cancer advocates take the stage, sharing their experiences, insights, and priorities. The advocacy panel at the Patient & Advocate Education Forum was the most powerful I’ve ever attended. Speakers addressed everything from the stigma of a gynecologic cancer diagnosis to its impact on relationships, mental health, and faith – and the hope they carry for those who will follow in their footsteps. We are in good hands with such powerful advocates on our side.

 

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The Coalition at ESGO 2025 in Rome by Frances Reid

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I had a great opportunity last week to showcase the Every Woman Study, low- and middle-income (LMIC) edition at the European Society for Gynaecologic Oncology Meeting in Rome, with a poster outlining potentially novel indicators for optimal cytoreductive surgery beyond age and stage of disease on diagnosis. Using data from 2446 women in the 22 LMICs, our initial analysis shows levels of awareness, family income, human development index status of the country and distance to treatment centre as potentially also playing a part.

Click here to read the poster. 

Conferences such as these are very much about the latest treatments or procedures and constantly push the boundaries of what clinicians can achieve. It was great to hear after several years, the language coming together around the use of PARP inhibitors – “not using them on women with BRCA mutations or those who have homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) is akin to causing harm”, and the first breakthrough in several years for women who are platinum resistant, with Mirvetuximab, an antibody conjugate drug or ADC. Are you lost already in the acronyms? It is all very positive, but for the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, and clinicians working in low- and middle-income countries, these treatments, and the genomic profile/genetic testing that are needed to correctly use these drugs are still a pipe dream in many situations. It’s not just about access, but affordability, with the very expensive price tags falling on the women and their families. Not one patient in our African cohort in the study received a PARP inhibitor.

So it felt like an important moment to get issues like this raised. I was also really interested to come across work by the GINECO group looking at KELIM scores in Japanese women. KELIM is an emerging method of using CA125 scores to predict responsiveness to chemotherapy, and in the future could also help determine HRD status in the form of a very cheap test. They showed that for Japanese women, the cut off figures for CA125 would need to be different, basically that women from different ethnic backgrounds respond differently, yet for the time being, all women are prescribed drugs and procedures based on trials carried out on mainly white women in the global north. There was also an interesting presentation on toxicity with PARP inhibitors, and how that varied, depending on where the mutations in the BRCA gene occurred. The future really could be much more personalised medicine, as long as the ovarian cancer community and governments work hard to involve and include women from diverse backgrounds.

It’s always hard to know how many people saw the EWS poster, but I had some positive chats with researchers, the poster was also available online and will be published in the International Journal of Gynecologic Cancer. I was delighted as well to meet Dr Edson Mamani, from Arequipa in Peru. He bounded up to me like an old friend, to let me know he had been one of the doctors recruiting women into the study, and was thrilled to have taken part in such an important piece of work.

Thank you ESGO for the opportunity.

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Ovarian Cancer Costs Countries Over $70 Billion Annually, According to a Groundbreaking Global Study by the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition

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TORONTO – February 20, 2025 (Business Wire) – The World Ovarian Cancer Coalition (the Coalition) announced today the publication of a first-of-its-kind study that reveals the major socioeconomic burden ovarian cancer has on communities around the world. Co-authored with the research institute RTI International, the study reveals the significant costs and defines actions needed to improve survival and quality of life for ovarian cancer patients and their caregivers.

Published in JCO Global Oncology, a leading peer-reviewed medical journal, the landmark “Socioeconomic Burden of Ovarian Cancer in 11 Countries Study” reveals the staggering $70 billion burden of ovarian cancer, with over 90% of these costs resulting from lives lost. The study examined data from a diverse group of countries representing a range of income levels: Australia, Canada, Colombia, India, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

World Ovarian Cancer Coalition CEO Clara MacKay says, “This unique study demonstrates the significant impact ovarian cancer has on women, their families and carers, health services and the wider economy. Behind these staggering numbers, there are many untold stories of women’s lives being disrupted, facing severe financial hardship and stigma due to their ovarian cancer. We hope, and expect, that by shining a light on the impact of ovarian cancer, policy makers will commit to a formal plan to address the challenges faced by women and acknowledge that by supporting them, society as a whole can benefit.”

Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal forms of cancer, with significantly low survival rates. According to Globocan’s 2022 projections, by 2050, the number of women around the world diagnosed with ovarian cancer will grow by 55%. Without improved prevention and control measures, mortality will increase by 70%. 

Global Health Inequity

The study’s findings underscore not only the moral and public health imperative to address ovarian cancer but also the urgent economic need to prioritize action. The study highlights significant losses in labor productivity, estimating that 2.5 million workdays are lost annually due to ovarian cancer. Furthermore, more than 9,400 women are absent from the workforce due to the disease. Caregivers, often overlooked in public health planning, dedicate an average of 33 days per year providing essential support to loved ones battling ovarian cancer. 

Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, World Ovarian Cancer Coalition Global Ambassador, President-elect of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and Champion for Women’s Health of the World Economic Forum’s Global Alliance for Women’s Health, added, “Advocates and health professionals in Nigeria work within a socio-cultural system where awareness is poor and presents a huge barrier. Ovarian cancer represents a significant yet understated challenge to women, caregivers as well as our health system and economy. This vital study confirms that and helps us identify the interventions and investments needed to reduce the burden of ovarian cancer.”

A Global Call to Action

The Socioeconomic Burden of Ovarian Cancer in 11 Countries Study shines a spotlight on the pressing need for global prioritization of ovarian cancer. It also highlights the vital role of caregivers and the ripple effects on national productivity and was produced with inputs from the World Health Organization, in line with its Framework for the Meaningful Engagement of People Affected by Noncommunicable Diseases. Raising awareness of ovarian cancer is crucial, particularly in low-and middle-income countries where so many are unaware of the condition and its impact on communities.

Dr. Guy Fones, Director a.i., NCD Department, World Health Organization states, “The data from this groundbreaking study is essential to our understanding of the multifaceted socio-economic impact of ovarian cancer, a disease that has long been under-evidenced in the global health landscape. The World Health Organization is committed to advancing data-backed strategies that prioritize equity and improve access to care and outcomes for all women no matter where they live.”

Addressing the Impact – No Woman Left Behind

The World Ovarian Cancer Coalition’s Inspiring Voices initiative is a platform dedicated to sharing the powerful stories of those touched by ovarian cancer. Nimkee Gupta, an ovarian cancer survivor born in India, says “Cancer is a full body disease and beyond the patient, it is a family disease. Not everyone dies, but everyone suffers.” Stella Matini, a mother of four from Kenya, says “Many women in my country do not have employment, they are housewives at home…Even for me, before my insurance came in…the treatment was taking almost what I earn in a month.”

Mikis Euripides, Study Lead and Policy Consultant, World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, notes, “The World Ovarian Cancer Coalition believes it is possible to change future outcomes if significant improvements in prevention, diagnosis and access to care are implemented. Reducing the burden of ovarian cancer is critical and prevention is key. Expanded access to genetic testing, prevention measures and affordable care is essential.”

Funding for this study was provided by separate grants from: AstraZeneca, Abbvie (formerly ImmunoGen), Novartis and Novocure.

About the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition
The World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, the only global not-for-profit organization focused solely on ovarian cancer, was established in 2016 and comprises over 200 patient advocacy group members in 37 countries. We work globally to ensure that everyone living with, or at risk of, ovarian cancer has the best chance of survival and the best quality of life, no matter where they live. To learn more, visit our website www.worldovariancancercoalition.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube. 

About JCO Global Oncology 

JCO Global Oncology (JCO GO), an American Society of Clinical Oncology Journal, is an online-only, open-access journal focused on cancer care, research, and care delivery issues unique to countries and settings with limited healthcare resources.

About RTI International

RTI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition.

Media Contacts:

Annabel Deegan, Senior Communications Consultant for the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition media@worldovariancancercoalition.org +44 7810 207571

Helen Shik, Interim Director of Communications, helen@worldovariancancercoalition.org 617-510-4373

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