Project Description:

Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer today have few options available to them other than chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. While chemotherapy was considered revolutionary when it was first introduced, little has changed over the past 25 years. Meanwhile, ovarian cancer has been getting better at defending itself. This is why treatment ‘success’ is often short lived. A devastating 90% of women diagnosed at an advanced stage suffer a recurrence within 18 months of being declared in remission. With this project, Dr Stephens and his team are aiming to offer women better treatment alternatives that are designed specifically for them. The team will work with doctors to test all available drugs against a patient’s cancer, measuring both cancer response and patient effect. This will help the team to chart a specific, targeted treatment plan that will predict the changing nature of the disease to stay one step ahead of drug resistance.