World Ovarian Cancer Day – 8 May 2022

May 8 2022

Shine a light so ovarian cancer isn’t left in the dark

Did you know that every day three women in Australia die from ovarian cancer?

The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often vague, and some women do not have apparent symptoms until the cancer has spread.

Despite many women and girls losing their life to this cancer, research into the treatment of ovarian cancer remains critically underfunded. World Ovarian Cancer Day was created to help raise awareness about this disease. 

The Rotary Club of Belmont NSW recently held a luncheon at the Lake Macquarie Yacht Club to raise funds for HMRI’s Ovarian Cancer Research Program.

Attendees included local politicians, ovarian cancer survivors and Rotary supporters from across Lake Macquarie and Newcastle

They heard from parents who lost their daughter to this disease, as well as from Bayley Matthews, HMRI's Jill Emberson Pink meets Teal PhD Scholar, working as part of HMRI's Drug Repurposing and Medicines Research Program who are looking at repurposing an existing HIV drug treatment for use against treatment-resistant, high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC).

Bayley states “This is the most common and most deadly subtype of ovarian cancer. This process is called ‘drug repurposing’ and it allows for drugs to be tested and approved for use as treatment against ovarian cancer in a timelier and cost-efficient way than the typical drug research pathway.”

While most research into new cancer therapies focus on creating brand-new treatments that target cancer, Bayley is testing existing drugs that are treating other diseases to if they can also be used to treat HGSOC.

We have several researchers who are leading the fight against Ovarian Cancer at HMRI.

To learn more about their research here