Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise in the interests of promoting awareness of ovarian cancer in this Ovarian Cancer Awareness month of February. Unfortunately, since I last spoke, a cure has not been found and, since I last spoke, over 1,300 women have received the devastating and breathtaking news that they have ovarian cancer. Of these women, due to a lack of adequate screening techniques and non-specific symptoms, most are diagnosed in the advanced stages of the cancer and only 18 per cent of those diagnosed will survive another five years. This means that, on average, four Australian women are diagnosed every day and three of these four women will die within five years.

Six out of 10 ovarian cancer cases occur in women over the age of 60, with 63 being the average age of diagnosis. One woman in 90 will develop ovarian cancer in her lifetime, with ovarian cancer now being the ninth most common cancer diagnosed in women.

On a more positive note, I will briefly acknowledge some exciting developments over the last 12 months in research being conducted here in Australia and around the world. As reported in the journal Immunity in September 2013, a study conducted by the University of Michigan has suggested that a group of immune cells, known as myeloid derived suppressor cells, could be giving cancer a hand by bolstering cancer stem cells, which are the small number of cells within a tumour that aid its growth. This also allows the tumour to create a constant supply of new cells. Myeloid derived suppressor cells suppress the immune system by inhibiting T-cell activation. T-cells help fight disease by eliminating cancer cells and cells infected with viruses and bacteria. These stem cells are also responsible for resistance to therapies like chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments. By eliminating these stem cells in tumours, scientists believe they have a much better chance of eliminating the cancer altogether. These cells are also believed to suppress the immune system. The aim is to find a drug to target these two areas. As Professor Weiping Zou stated:

Essentially, we kill two birds with one stone.

In February 2013, the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, led by Dr Goli Samimi, announced a world-first breakthrough, identifying specific biological changes in DNA. Potentially, this could lead to screening high-risk groups with a family history of cancer. This breakthrough makes a blood based screening test a highly promising prospect.

In September 2013, scientists from Cancer Research UK found a gene in mice that could protect against ovarian cancer. Further, if this gene is faulty, that may increase the chance of the disease developing. This gene, known as HELQ, helps repair any damage to DNA that happens when it is copied as cells multiply. If this gene is missing or faulty, DNA errors could mount up, increasing the chances of cancer developing. This research found that mice without either of the two copies of the HELQ gene were twice as likely to develop ovarian tumours, as well as becoming less fertile. Even losing one copy was enough for the mouse to develop more tumours. Researchers are excited and believe their findings show that, if this relationship exists in mice, this may also be true for women. This could potentially lead to women being screened for these errors in genes that might increase their risk of ovarian cancer. Dr Julie Sharp, the senior science manager from Cancer Research UK, stated:

As we know diagnosis is difficult and early detection is vital to be treated successfully. The more we know about the causes the better we can work out how to detect and treat.

In October 2013, another Cancer Research UK study identified chemical tags on DNA in patients' tumours that could help doctors determine the type of chemotherapy a women with advanced ovarian cancer should receive. According to the journal Clinical Cancer Research, these tags are found in DNA and behave like a switch controlling the gene, turning them on or off. Studies have shown that, if the process malfunctions, it can lead to cancer development and affect how tumours respond to treatment. These scientists believe these tags are important in ovarian cancer and that we may be able to tailor treatment according to these tags, leading to better outcomes.

In addition to predicting how likely it is that a patient's tumour will come back, research like this means that we now know more than ever before about how our genetics underpin cancer. Genetic tags are already used to determine which treatment should be given to patients with some cancers, such as breast cancer. But there is still more to be done. Understanding how ovarian cancer differs, via these tags, will potentially aid doctors and help them to determine the appropriate treatment. We hope that studies like this could lead to improvements in the treatment of people affected by all cancers.

In November 2013, further cancer research from the United Kingdom found that where a drug was given along with chemotherapy it extended the life of the cancer patient by an average of three months compared to those only given chemotherapy. Professor Jonathan Ledermann, chief investigator at Cancer Research UK, acknowledges that whilst this development seems modest it is a significant finding for women with advanced cancer. This drug is the first of its kind shown to delay tumour progression and to improve the overall survival rate in recurrent ovarian cancer. It works by inhibiting tumours from creating new blood vessels that are essential for cancer growth. It is worth noting that, like research into most cancer treatments, progress in ovarian cancer research is incremental. Over time, when added together, the small benefits derived from the many research programs like this make huge differences to patients' lives.

Penny Webb, an associate professor at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, is looking at many lifestyle factors that might improve survival rates for women with ovarian cancer. Professor Webb stated:

What's known so far is that the less a woman ovulates in her lifetime, the less likely she is to develop ovarian cancer. That's why anything that puts ovulation on hold—pregnancy, breastfeeding or the contraceptive pill—helps lower the risk, while not having children can increase it.

One of the factors that Professor Webb is currently looking at is how vitamin D has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells and to induce cell death in ovarian cancer cells in the lab. Lastly, as recently as 6 February 2014 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported that women who take aspirin daily may reduce their risk of ovarian cancer by 20 per cent. Previous studies have suggested that the anti-inflammatory properties of aspirin may reduce the risk of cancer overall.

However intriguing these results, researchers stress that additional research is required and, at this point, existing research should not influence current clinical practice. There is so much wonderful research being conducted and the tremendous work is inspiring and promising. However, we also need to raise awareness. A recent survey conducted by Ovarian Cancer Australia shows three out of five women incorrectly believe that ovarian cancer can be and is detected by a pap smear. This survey also brings to light that many women incorrectly believe that the cervical cancer vaccine also protects against ovarian cancer. Alarmingly, only eight per cent of women are concerned about ovarian cancer, despite one woman losing her life to the disease every 11 hours. Currently 30 per cent of ovarian cancer patients do not respond to chemotherapy and another 40 per cent may develop resistance to chemotherapy during treatment.

In closing, I can only imagine that a diagnosis of ovarian cancer would involve a daunting journey that must be full of physical, emotional, psychological and practical challenges. Like all cancers, the journey not only affects the patient; it also affects the whole family of the patient and our greater community. This devastating news can only be met with disbelief and fear of what lies ahead—not to mention the thought of treatments like surgery and chemotherapy.

I am hopeful that through all the incredible research being conducted an early detection test is not far away. As we know, if ovarian cancer is diagnosed and treated early there is a 90 to 100 per cent chance of a patient surviving past the five-year mark.

I speak on this topic on an annual basis, because we need to ensure that the public are talking about this cancer—that women are talking about it with their daughters, with their mothers, with their aunts and with their sisters—to ensure that they insist in getting a second opinion should they not be satisfied with what their doctor is telling them. I urge you to support Ovarian Cancer by purchasing a teal ribbon on 24 February. And, as Senator Bilyk said, she is a survivor. I hope that we will continue to research this important subject. (Time expired)