Advanced ovarian cancer is difficult to cure. Most patients are free of the disease after completing initial surgery and chemotherapy, but the cancer usually comes back. This is because resistance to chemotherapy develops. Scientists are studying the genetic changes that occur in tumours to understand what causes cancer cells to become resistant to drugs. They are also using new imaging technology to monitor how tumours respond to treatment and whether they have spread to other parts of the body.

Ovarian cancer researchers are currently exploring closely linked themes to advance the understanding of ovarian cancer.

These include:

– Looking at new ways to diagnose and treat ovarian cancer

– Examining new ways to detect ovarian cancer earlier thus leading to earlier diagnoses

– Understanding what makes some types of ovarian cancer more sensitive to treatment than others

– Developing better methods of predicting who will respond to treatment so that we may be able to tell each patient which treatment is going to be effective for them at the earliest time point possible.

All funds so generously donated will be used to support the above research into ovarian cancer as well as support future developments. Additionally, the money will be used to sponsor patient involvement in a diverse range of studies.

Find out more about ovarian cancer research at the University of Cambridge.