February is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and Ovarian Cancer Australia is asking everyone to wear a teal ribbon to start conversations and increase awareness of the disease.
According to the Australian Cancer Research Council, ovarian cancer is the eighth most diagnosed cancer in Australian females and has the highest death rate of all gynaecological cancers.
At Griffith, as part of the Institute of Glycomics’ cancer research program, researchers are identifying unique sugars that decorate ovarian cancer cells. This research could lead to new therapeutic targets and improved treatment options.
As Institute Director Professor Mark von Itzstein AO highlights:
‘The development of an accurate and sensitive early detection test that is easily accessible to women will dramatically improve survivability for ovarian cancer sufferers. It has the potential to save the lives of up to 900 Australian women each year and more than 140,000 women across the globe suffering from this debilitating disease.’
Meanwhile, at Menzies Health Institute Queensland, researchers are working hard to improve the quality of life of cancer survivors. And Compounds Australia is supporting research that is improving our understanding of drug sensitivity in ovarian cancer.
For more on this subject, check out some of Griffith’s open access research:
- Gynecological cancer survivors and community support services: referral, awareness, utilization and satisfaction
- Characterization of aldehyde dehydrogenase isozymes in ovarian cancer tissues and sphere cultures
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of sarcopenia as a prognostic factor in gynecological malignancy
Search for research on ovarian cancer on Griffith Research Online for more.
