Ovarian cancer topics

Last week's Health Report on ABC's Radio National concentrated on three aspects of ovarian cancer.  Click on the titles to download, podcast or read the transcript of the program.

• Screening - a study in the US, involving over 70,000 women, has investigated the effect of screening on ovarian cancer mortality.  The researchers concluded that the benefits of screening did not outweigh the risks.  The study has been reported in this article : Buys SS et al. Effect of Screening on Ovarian Cancer Mortality. JAMA 2011;305(22):2295-2303
• Education campaigns - An Australian longitudinal study attempted to discover what symptoms associated with ovarian cancer need to be investigated further and when not to be concerned. Three major symptoms were identified, which in conjunction with persistence and severity indicated a need for intervention.  Pitts MK et al. High prevalence of symptoms associated with ovarian canc er among Australian women. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 2011;51:71-78
• Genome - An international research project, with the participation of two Australian scientists, has mapped genetic mutations in the most common form of ovarian cancer, giving hope for the development of new, targeted treatments.  Read more in The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network. Integrated genomic analyses of ovarian carcinoma. Nature 2011;474:609-18 

If you have trouble accessing any of the articles referenced above, please contact your hospital library.