Ovarian Cancer

Alternative Medicine, Quality of Life & Ovarian Cancer

Molecular Epidemiology of Ovarian Cancer: the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study (AOCS)

Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Risk Factors and Prognosis

Comparison of quality of life & standard end-points of chemotherapy in advanced ovarian cancer

Quality of life and psychosocial predictors of outcome in a population-based study of ovarian cancer

Alternative Medicine, Quality of Life & Ovarian Cancer
P. Webb, D. Purdie, A. Green
For this project we interviewed 450 women with ovarian cancer and benign ovarian disease to document the types of complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) they had used, their reasons for using them and their quality of life. We will identify factors that predict CAM use and evaluate the relation between CAM use and quality of life. We also aim to address clinical concerns by identifying whether patients defer or abandon conventional therapy for alternative treatments and by quantifying the extent to which women using CAM discuss this with their physician.

Molecular Epidemiology of Ovarian Cancer: the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study (AOCS)
A. Green, P. Webb, D. Purdie, D. Whiteman, in collaboration with G. Trench, D. Bowtell (Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute), D. Gertig (Uni of Melbourne), A. de Fazio (Westmead Hospital)
For this study we have collected questionnaire data and blood samples from 1500 women with ovarian cancer and 1500 cancer-free control women from across Australia. Samples of tumour tissue have also been collected from women with this cancer. We are now studying the relation between environmental factors (family history of disease, reproductive history, medical history, diet, alcohol, smoking etc) and risk of the different subtypes of ovarian cancer. With the Cancer Genetics and Human Genetics Groups at QIMR we will also look for particular genes and genetic mutations associated with ovarian cancer and look at the interaction between genes and environmental factors.

Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Risk Factors & Prognosis
A. Green, V. Siskind, D. Purdie, G. Trench, P. Webb, C. Nagle, A. Spurdle, in collaboration with C. Bain (Uni of Qld)
Analysis of data from The Survey of Women's Health (a case-control study of epithelial ovarian cancer) continues, with examination of the relationship between various risk factors (for example, cigarette smoking, hormone replacement therapy, lifetime number of ovulations) and the incidence and prognosis of the disease. Molecular epidemiological studies of ovarian cancer aetiology are also being undertaken.

Comparison of quality of life & standard end-points of chemotherapy in advanced ovarian cancer
A.Green, K. Horwood, D. Wyld, A.Clavarino, D. Purdie, P.Webb
This project is studying women with advanced ovarian cancer being treated with chemotherapy, with a focus on women whose initial treatment with standard cytotoxic drugs proves ineffective. It will progressively assess the outcomes of palliative chemotherapy from the patients' perspective by asking which aspects of chemotherapy they value most (eg is tumour shrinkage more important than a lack of side effects) and assessing how their quality of life relates to the measurable clinical effects of chemotherapy.

Quality of life and psychosocial predictors of outcome in a population based study of ovarian cancer P.Webb, A Green in collaboration with P. Butow, C Tennant, M Price, I Juraskova, S Lo (Sydney University, A. deFazio (Westmead Hospital), D. Gertig (Victorian Cytology Service). This project is following up the women with cancer from the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study to study levels of psychological distress, social support, coping style (optimism, minimisation, helpless/hopelessness), unmet needs and quality of life in women with ovarian cancer and their partners/primary carers. It will also evaluate the role of these factors in determining quality of life and survival.