Ovarian cancer information for Healthcare Professionals
Ovarian Cancer Action has been awarded a grant from the John Ellerman Foundation to develop its work with health service professionals and other providers of cancer care through the appointment of a Healthcare Project Manager, Dr Sarah Blacklidge, who can be contacted by email: sblacklidge@ovarian.org.uk or Tel: 020 8238 7586.
By consulting with primary care health professionals we endeavour to advance clinical practice to reduce delays in diagnosis and improve the accuracy of referrals. We aim to contribute to your continuing professional development by alerting you to the latest research on the symptoms of ovarian cancer.
In 2008, the Department of Health’s consulted with leading clinicians, researchers and charities with an interest in ovarian cancer, including Ovarian Cancer Action, on the common symptoms of ovarian cancer and devised two sets of key messages on ovarian cancer for women and health professionals.
The key messages for healthcare professionals were published in March 2009: Key Messages for Healthcare Professionals [PDF. 1.8MB. News window will open]
The Department of Health’s key messages: Department of Health - Ovarian cancer: key messages for health professionals [new window will open]
It is envisaged that these messages should support health professionals when assessing women for ovarian cancer, ultimately reducing any delays in referrals to the appropriate department.
Originally known as the ‘silent killer’, recent studies show that the majority of women with ovarian cancer, even those with early stage disease, do have symptoms prior to diagnosis. There is increasing evidence that symptoms may be present for a median of 12 months.
It is recognised that primary care health professionals frequently find the diagnostic pathway for ovarian cancer complex. Ovarian cancer is regularly misdiagnosed, often for gastrointestinal or abdominal conditions. Current research indicates that symptoms do occur in the early stages of the disease. Symptoms will be persistent, frequent and new to the individual.
Our symptom diary will help you learn more about the specificity and frequency of a woman's symptoms and thereby assist in appropriate referral for diagnostic tests.
The diaries are branded with our logo for this site, however, if you would like to use them in general practice unbranded please contact us as below and we will be happy to supply them to you directly.
You can download the symptom diary based on research by Professor Barbara Goff and accompanying guidance notes by opening the PDF below.
Symptom Diary [PDF, 1.31MB, new window will open].
We are contributing to strategies for developing clinical governance and are working nationally with the cancer networks to improve the patient pathway for women at risk of having or developing the disease.
Latest news
In 2008 we received a grant from the Department of Health to supply all GP practices in England and Wales with symptoms leaflets and a poster during ovarian cancer awareness month. The feedback from this campaign was extremely positive, so Ovarian Cancer Action repeated the initiative during Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in March 2009, sending leaflets and posters to all 8820 GP practices in England and Wales. Alongside this mail out, each surgery also received Ovarian Cancer Action’s briefing note on the Department of Health key messages on ovarian cancer for health professionals. More copies of all the leaflets and briefing note can be obtained from Sarah Blacklidge: email sblacklidge@ovarian.org.uk or Tel: 020 8238 7605.
For the first time, this year all 371 GP practices in Northern Ireland will receive symptom leaflets and poster to display in their surgeries. They will also receive a copy of the briefing note on key messages for health professionals. This is expected to be completed by the end of April 2009.
We have received a three year grant from the Scottish Executive, enabling us to produce and distribute symptoms awareness leaflets and poster to all GP practices in Scotland in October 2008. We will be repeating this circulation of materials in October 2009. Each GP practice shall receive a copy of Ovarian Cancer Action’s briefing note on the key messages for health professionals during April 2009.
In March 2009, we attended a conference at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, held by MIMS Women’s Health, exhibiting our materials for raising awareness of ovarian cancer. We received a great deal of interest in the work that we undertake at Ovarian Cancer Action. It was gratifying to hear that health professionals were encouraged by our symptoms awareness campaign, and were keen to support our attempts at raising awareness of ovarian cancer within the health professions and with patients.
We will be attending the MIMS Women’s Health Conference in Manchester on September 17th, to reach health professionals based in the northern part of the UK.
We are always delighted to get your feedback on our work. We are keen to develop a panel of health professionals who would be interested in collaborating with us on our healthcare initiatives.
For further information about our work in this area or to join our GP panel please contact Dr Sarah Blacklidge, Healthcare Project Manager on Tel: 020 8238 7586 or email sblacklidge@ovarian.org.uk