Best of CASE Europe Region Award
 

Institution: University of Cambridge

Title of entry: The women helping to change the story of ovarian cancer

About this entry: “There was that moment when the waiting room emptied and I said to my husband ‘This isn’t right, something’s wrong’.”

Every patient with cancer has a story to tell of their journey through diagnosis and treatment. Difficult days, unexpected positives, inspiring support – and, in the case of one group of women, a chance to make a real difference to changing the story of their devastating cancer.

The cure rate for women with ovarian cancer remains very low despite new medicines coming into the clinic. However, new research taking place at Cambridge University offers the potential to improve patient outcomes by bringing together complex data with machine learning techniques to help clinicians make better decisions for their patients.

Our goal was to raise awareness of this research at a time when funding is being sought for a Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital. We were also keen to raise awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer, which is often diagnosed late in the cancer’s progression.

We used a multimedia campaign that focused on the compelling voices of patients – all members of the Ovarian Cancer Patient Research Group in Cambridge. The women were interviewed on the day they met face-to-face for the first time, having only met virtually due to the pandemic. Their honest stories are ones we can all recognise. Their involvement helped to promote the research to both a wide and a targeted audience and has led to ongoing media engagement.”