Ovacome Summer 2014

www.ovacome.org.uk Newsletter summer 2014
SUMMER OF
BAKE OFFS
Unleash your inner
Mary Berry and raise
money for Ovacome
SEX AFTER SURGERY
Answers to the questions you
didn’t like to ask
BRCA TESTING
Why it might be best to know
SURVIVORS TEACHING STUDENTS
Jenny Agutter helps launch awareness pilot
for GPs, with the Clark family and Ovacome
it together

comments
contact Ovacome
Chief executive:
Louise Bayne
Support services nurse:
Ruth Payne
Susan Morgan-Walters
Volunteer and
information manager:
Ruth Grigg
Administrator:
Sonia Vig
Support line: 0845 371 0554
020 7299 6650
Email: support@ovacome.org.uk
Administration line:
020 7299 6654
Email: ovacome@ovacome.org.uk
Address: Ovacome,
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London EC1V 9FR
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© 2014 Ovacome
B5, City Cloisters, 196 Old Street,
London EC1V 9FR.
OVACOME is a voluntary organisation
and relies on donations
The information gathered in this newsletter
is from many sources and is provided for
guidance only. Ovacome has made every
effort to ensure that it is accurate but can
make no undertakings as to its accuracy
or completeness. All medical information
should be used in conjunction with advice
from medical professionals
Front cover: At the launch of
the Survivors Teaching Students
programme: the Clark family with
Ovacome’s patron, Jenny Agutter.
Image taken by Skye Brackpool at
Brightontogs.
Designed, produced and printed by
Berforts Information Press Ltd
www.informationpress.com
Welcome to Ovacome’s summer newsletter
We are entering a new era for cancer treatment, with a
staggering 50% of people diagnosed with the disease today
likely to be cured.
While ovarian cancer is one of the more tricky areas to treat,
Dr Richard Osborne, a consultant medical oncologist at Dorset
Cancer Centre, told Members’ Day attendees that he wanted to share
his “enthusiasm and optimism about progress in ovarian cancer treatment”.
It’s largely down to the personalised way that women are now being managed with
the introduction of multi-displinary teams working together to come up with tailored
treatment plans, rather than a one approach suits all strategy, he said.
The amount of options available to treat the disease is increasing with newcomers like
Avastin making positive change. And a new armoury of drugs, such as Olaparib (see
pages 6 and 7), are lining up to give the next generation of precision medicine.
So Cancer Research UK’s ambitious plans to see three-quarters of all cancer patients
surviving their disease in the next 20 years could well be within grasp. After all its
recent landmark figures show a massive improvement from the early 1970s, when just
a quarter of people diagnosed with cancer survived 10 years.
It’s true that for many with ovarian cancer their disease is caught too late to be cured.
But reassuringly it has become a disease that can be lived with using maintenance
medicine, such as hormone therapy, and top up chemotherapy or surgery. This allows
women to get on with their lives and to think of ovarian cancer more as a chronic
illness such as diabetes.
Hopefully this newsletter will help you get into this positive mindset. Happy reading.
Juliet Morrison, newsletter editor.
Thoughts from the chair
Hello. I am absolutely delighted to be writing this comment piece
as the new Ovacome chair of trustees.
I have been a supporter of the charity since I read Sarah Dickinson’s
article in Good Housekeeping in 1996 and have watched it grow (and
support the women I was working with) into the amazing organisation
that it is today.
I want to thank Noëline Young for all her hard work over the past 10 years as chair and
only hope that I can at least half fill her shoes - for this would be a job well done! I also
want to thank Noëline for her personal support which I hope will continue.
I was pleased to meet so many people at the recent Members’ Day. This was a truly
inspiring event with great speakers and the opportunity to ask questions and share stories
which made the day so much more valuable and enjoyable. There was a real sense of
what has already been achieved for women with ovarian cancer and of the way that
things will be improved in the future.
Thank you again for welcoming me and for giving me the opportunity to use my
experience (and time now the children have grown up!) to help steward the organisation
to continue to do great things.
Cathy Hughes.
Ovacome was founded in 1996 by Sarah Dickinson.
Trustees to the charity are: Cathy Hughes (chair), Simon Chantrey (treasurer),
Sean Kehoe (medical adviser), Clare Barsby, Adrian Dickinson and Noëline Young.
2 Phone Ovacome’s nurse led support line on 0845 371 0554 it together

news
Teaching ovarian
cancer away from
the text book
Ovacome’s new Survivors Teaching Students
project, which brings the voices of ovarian
cancer survivors to medical and other clinical
students, was successfully launched in
May with a pioneering presentation to our
supporters and funders.
Presenters Jackie Rose, Samixa Shah and Jenny Hayes spoke
movingly about their experiences of diagnosis, treatment and
living with ovarian cancer to drive home crucial information
that will help to improve outcomes for women.
Ovacome patron Jenny Agutter hosted the event and told
how learning of the diagnosis of a woman she knew had
convinced her to join the charity and support its innovative
campaigning to raise awareness.
Survivors Teaching Students is supported by the family of
Dr Lisa Jayne Clark, a consultant in emergency medicine
who died of ovarian cancer aged just 40 in October 2012.
She trained at Charing Cross Hospital, which welcomed the
Ovacome launch and gave the venue for free. The event
began with a film about her life and her family’s support for
the project in her memory.
Talking it over: Ovacome supporters after presentation.
Presenter Samixa Shah says: “It was a great experience,
I thoroughly enjoyed being a presenter and although I was
nervous about speaking I am so pleased to be able to use what
happened to me in a positive way to help other women.”
A powerful voice: Jackie Rose, Jenny Hayes, Samixa Shah
and Jenny Agutter (back row first, left to right).
Now Ovacome is receiving enquiries from medical schools,
nursing schools and other education settings from across the
UK and the next STS date is firmly booked. Many Ovacome
members have volunteered to take part as presenters.
“This is an exciting pioneering programme that Ovacome
is offering for free as a
practical and positive way
of communicating with the
doctors and nurses of the
future,” says Ovacome’s chief
executive, Louise Bayne.
“The programme has been
proved to be an effective way
of giving information that
is retained by putting real
women’s voices and faces
to ovarian cancer. It brings
the story of ovarian cancer
alive for students, rather than
Noteworthy talks.
relying on a dry text book.”
Survivors Teaching Students: Saving Women’s Lives is
owned and trademarked by the Ovarian Cancer National
Alliance in the US.
Would you like to be involved? To find out more email
Ruth Grigg at r.grigg@ovacome.org.uk
it together
Phone Ovacome’s nurse led support line on 0845 371 0554 3

Photography: Daily Echo, Bournemouth
news
Singing to recovery
Gareth Malone, the preppy choirmaster credited with reigniting our interest in
choral singing through his BBC Two series The Choir, would be proud. For word
is getting around about how uplifting being part of a singing group can be and the
benefits are numerous when dealing with illness.
Rising Voices - a community choir for people affected by
cancer in Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire - has found in
a study that members have benefited from being part of a
mutually empathetic community, in which they were not
treated as victims.
Altogether Rising Voices: Noëline Young (fourth from left, front row).
As well as getting enjoyment from singing as a group,
members liked the social interaction at weekly rehearsals and
the travel to events, which could be anywhere from a local
shopping centre or Women’s Institute meeting to a twinned
event in Cherbourg.
Concentrated chemo
A
decision on whether to
progress with a new method of
chemotherapy for treating ovarian cancer
could be made soon.
PETROC is a study of the use of
chemotherapy that is given into the
peritoneal space (IP) for ovarian cancer,
rather than into a vein (IV). This
increases the concentration of the drug
around the cancer and can increase its
effectiveness. The study is for patients
who need to complete their treatment
after primary chemotherapy for three
cycles and a successful interval operation.
This technique was new to the UK
while it had been tested previously in
the USA. The early studies had a lot of
problems with toxicity which delayed
acceptance in the UK. However,
medical staff have learnt how to give
the treatment much more safely, and
UK centres have been trained so that
after the first 150 patients there was
no difference in toxicity between the
Carboplatin and Paclitaxel given in the
IP arm or the control IV arm.
There was a third arm in the study using
IP Cisplatin instead of the Carboplatin,
however the independent data
monitoring committee recommended
that this be stopped as it was no more
effective and more toxic.
Member and Ovacome trustee Noëline Young says that the
established associations between music and health, both
physical and spiritual, have been well documented and
highlighted in a report by Cardiff University.*
“Participation in music making has been shown to improve
well being and music has the power to communicate with
individuals at times of difficulty. This formed the background
to the establishment of our survivors’ choir, Rising Voices,”
says Noëline, an ovarian cancer survivor herself.
“The intention was to encourage participation in singing
to boost confidence and social interaction and promote
wellbeing, as an aid to recovery from cancer.”
The choir has been supported by a start-up grant from
Macmillan Cancer Support and Dorset Cancer Network, but
longer term it plans to be self-sufficient, supported through
voluntary donations by members, friends, donations and
money raised from public performances.
If you are interested in joining Rising Voices, it rehearses
weekly at St John’s Church in Parkstone, Poole.
e-mail admin@risingvoices.org.uk or phone 07500 676083.
*Gale NS, Enright S, Reagon C, Lewis I, van Deursen R.
A pilot investigation of quality of life and lung function following
choral singing in cancer survivors and their carers. Cancer,
2012; 6:261
The study has now been resubmitted to
Cancer Research UK with the planned
interim analysis to allow the number
of centres giving IP treatment in the
UK to increase from nine to 28 and
to include a further 630 patients in
the trial, to prove whether it increases
survival.
Dr Sean Kehoe, a gynae surgeon.
has reviewed the medical stories on
page 4 and 5
4 Phone Ovacome’s nurse led support line on 0845 371 0554 it together

Around the
world support
Cancer charities from across the globe united this
summer in a powerful effort to raise awareness
of the symptoms of the disease in the second World
Ovarian Cancer Day.
In a global movement, which took place on May 8, women
pledged to tell at least five others about the most serious
gynaecological cancer.
Ovacome was delighted to take part in the UK, helping to
build a sense of solidarity in the fight against the disease,
says its chief executive, Louise Bayne: “We’re very proud
to take part in World Ovarian Cancer Day in which all the
ovarian cancer charities come together in a joint effort to
raise awareness and to give women living with the disease a
feeling of solidarity.”
In the UK, the Department of Health has been investing
in an awareness programme for ovarian cancer. It has
undertaken a regional pilot for ovarian cancer symptoms
Overcoming it together
Improving survival rates, earlier
diagnosis and access to appropriate
treatments recommended by clinicians
for ovarian cancer were among the key
issues which Ovacome members have
called for in a report which the charity
presents to MPs this month.
The charity has been polling its
members to come up with priorities for
improving ovarian cancer care, to give
a series of recommendations to help
news
awareness
in the
North West and Borders as part of its
Be Clear On Cancer campaign.
Centred on the main message that if you
feel bloated for three weeks or more you should see your GP,
a television advert was included in the campaign.
Ovacome awaits the pilot results to see what impact
it has had in the regions. If the initiative has been
successful, the charity will again call for ovarian cancer
to be one of the cancers included in a national level
campaign in 2015. To see the advert online visit:
http://www.nhs.uk/be-clear-on-cancer/ovarian-cancer/home
GSK withdraws Votrient application
Initial hopes that the drug Votrient
could be used in treating late stage
ovarian cancer have been dashed, with
GlaxoSmithKline withdrawing its
application to the European Medicines
Agency.
It was found that the drug, also
known as Pazopanib and licensed for
kidney cancer and some types of soft
cell sarcomas, did not give a positive
the Government and the NHS achieve
these goals.
For despite positive steps to improve
the quality of care and treatment, the
survival of ovarian cancer patients
living in the UK is still poorer than in
comparable countries.
The launch of the ‘Overcoming it
together’ report at the parliamentary drop
in event on 16 July, will give Ovacome
members attending the ear of MPs. They
benefit-risk scenario after further
analysis of data from the late-stage trial.
GSK said it was disappointed by the
findings, which came after it found the drug
caused an improvement in progression-free
survival in its Phase III study.
GSK’s director of patient relations,
Geraint Thomas, says while the company
is disappointed by the latest results, it will
progress additional analyses which may
will be able to talk about their personal
experiences and give input on what
would have made their journey easier.
They will also hear from Fiona
Mactaggart, MP (Slough), who
will give a talk on how Ovacome
members might engage effectively with
politicians to raise areas of concern on
a local and national level. Materials
giving practical advice on this are
available from Ovacome’s head office.
add to the body of scientific evidence in
this disease setting.
“GSK remains committed to
understanding the utility of pazopanib
in relapsed ovarian cancer as more
data become available through other
studies,” he says.
Ovacome’s chief executive Louise
Bayne, says: “We are naturally
disappointed.”
it together
Phone Ovacome’s nurse led support line on 0845 371 0554 5

ask the doctor
Better to know
A
new drug called Olaparib is proving successful in stopping cancer
cells thriving by repairing damaged DNA, and is particularly effective
on patients found to have faulty BRCA genes. It has just hit a regulatory
setback in the US, but Dr James Mackay (left), consultant genetic oncologist
at University College London, explains why he hopes it gets approval here.
What is BRCA and why
is it a problem?
JM: BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genes that produce proteins that
suppress tumours. These proteins are vital in helping repair
damaged DNA. However, if BRCA genes are mutated, this
damage repair may not take place, meaning that cells may be
more likely to develop alterations in their genetic make-up that
can lead to cancer.
Why and how do we test
for the BRCA mutation?
JM: Up until a couple of years ago, the NHS tended to carry
out BRCA testing based on family history. A blood sample
was taken to see if a woman carried the mutation. If they did,
doctors would offer the test to female family members who could
decide whether to have preventative ovarian or breast surgery,
as they could be at higher risk of developing these cancers.
Now an increasing number of UK cancer centres – including
the Royal Marsden in London as well as Cambridge and
Glasgow – are offering women diagnosed with ovarian cancer
BRCA blood testing as routine. The advantage is that targeted
drugs can be used to treat women with the BRCA mutation
which can be more effective than standard chemotherapy.
This has meant that there has been a big change over the past
year from believing that women should be tested based chiefly
on their family background.
The change in thinking has been fuelled by the arrival of
Olaparib, which has been found to be effective as a treatment
for women who test positive for BRCA.
Some 14% of patients with serous ovarian cancer have the
BRCA mutation. However, we don’t think it is necessary to
screen the wider population because the chances of having a
faulty BRCA gene is just one in 400, so the risk is low even for
women who don’t know their family history.
What are the tests
designed to find out?
JM: There are three possible results. The test can be normal,
it can detect a fault indicating increased risk of cancer, or
it can find a change in the DNA sequence. Previously this
variance used to be dismissed, but now it is recognised that
it could mean that the woman is at higher risk. Under a
method that many specialists use, including myself, called
the Myriad Genetics test, these inconclusive variances come
up in about one in 100 tests. Standard NHS testing gives one
in 10 people an inconclusive result.
What is Olaparib?
Olaparib is a PARP-1 inhibitor. A cancer cell has damaged
DNA and relies on an enzyme called PARP – or Poly ADPribose
polymerase – to repair it. Olaparib can stop the PARP
from repairing DNA damage.
Olaparib is the first of many PARP inhibitors in development
at the moment to reach clinical use. It is in phase III clinical
studies in platinum sensitive relapse (SOLO2) and first line
maintenance (SOLO1).
However, although it represents a significant step, it is
important not to get carried away about its success in
treating late stage ovarian cancer. One interesting question is
whether the drug can be effective used at an earlier stage of
treatment.
Who will Olaparib be available to?
People with relapsed ovarian cancer or those sensitive to
platinum or platinum type drugs.
AstraZeneca submitted Olaparib for its European licence in
September 2013, based on the availability of tissue as well as
blood BRCA testing.
It will be available initially through the Cancer Drugs Fund
and private sector, but as early as the end of this year, NICE
could clear the drug to be used on the NHS by 2016.
Olaparib was dealt a setback this June when the US Food
and Drug Adminstration’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory
Committee (ODAC) voted 11-2 against the accelerated
approval of the drug as a maintenance therapy for women
with platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer with
germline BRCA mutations.
It said until there was further data to judge by, there were
too many troubling questions about potential side effects
of the drug as well as uncertainties about the efficacy data
demonstrating an improvement on progression-free survival.
6 Phone Ovacome’s nurse led support line on 0845 371 0554 it together

ask the doctor
It’s not over yet, though. AstraZeneca continues with
its confirmatory Phase III study of the PARP inhibitor,
SOLO-2. And the R&D group will need to report clear
signs of a benefit to get this drug to the U.S. market.
In Europe, AstraZeneca is hoping for a smoother journey.
It goes without saying that we want to get Olaparib
available in clinical practice as soon as possible.
Do you think that all women
with ovarian cancer should be
BRCA tested now and ask for
the test at their hospital?
It looks like Olaparib could make a significant impact on
the treatment of late stage ovarian cancer. That’s why
we are hoping that everyone will be offered testing at
diagnosis: as a first step with blood and eventually with
tissue. We want this so that we can see which women will
benefit from Olaparib.
I think BRCA should be more widely available to other
women too who might not necessarily have a strong case
with regard to their family history, but could well benefit.
I’m thinking of, for instance, a woman in her early 30s
who has triple negative breast cancer. Even if she doesn’t
have a strong family history, there is still a reasonably
high risk of her having the BRCA1 or BRCA2 fault and
so she will be at high risk of developing ovarian cancer. It
would be a nightmare to get through breast cancer only to
develop ovarian cancer in her early 40s when this could
be avoided.
Should a positive BRCA test
always lead to a recommendation
for preventative treatment?
JM: If, say, a patient is found to be BRCA positive and she
has an 18–year-old daughter, would we recommend having her
daughter tested? I would question that as she might have 22 years
ahead of her before she decided to have her ovaries removed
Photography by Tony Larkin/Rex Features.
Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has already shone the spotlight on the
importance of high-risk women knowing their BRCA status.
in her early 40s after having a family. This might be different,
of course, if the daughter had breast cancer. A lot depends too
on the clinical context and such matters should always be the
patient’s decision rather than having rules about it.
This piece has been reviewed by
Chris Jacobs, consultant genetic
counsellor and joint lead for cancer
genetics clinical genetics department at
Guy’s Hospital, London.
She says: The article mentions that standard
NHS BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic testing
gives one in 10 people an inconclusive result,
whereas private testing via the company
Myriad Genetics gives inconclusive results
to around one in 100 tests. This difference
is likely to be due to the greater number of
tests undertaken by Myriad genetics than
the NHS laboratories which enables them to
classify more inconclusive resuts as cancer
causing (pathogenic) or non-cancer causing
(non pathogenic). If all laboratories, including
private genetic testing companies, were to share
this type of data, it would enable all BRCA1/2
genetic testing to improve.
The article mentions that genetic testing
should be more widely available and gives an
example of a woman in her early 30s with
triple negative breast cancer and no cancer
family history. The NICE guidelines for
familial breast cancer, which were published
in June 2013, recommended that BRCA1
and BRCA2 genetic testing is offered to any
woman in England and Wales with at least a
10% chance of a fault in one of these genes.
This would include women with ovarian cancer
and women with triple negative breast cancer
who are diagnosed at a young age and have no
family history of the disease. Women in this
situation can be referred to their local regional
genetics service to discuss genetic testing.
it together
Phone Ovacome’s nurse led support line on 0845 371 0554 7

fundraising
Tea with Ovacome 2014
Tea with Ovacome has become the social event of the year in the ovarian cancer calendar:
smashing records in 2014 with 200 attendees and £8,228 raised for the charity.
The T.W.O. team, led by Ovacome
member Adele Sewell, is thrilled and
has set itself
the ambitious
goal of
£10,000 for
the next
fundraiser to
be held in
March 2015.
This was the
fifth Tea with
Ovacome
and as usual
planning
started early.
Tickets went
on sale in Where it all started: Adele Sewell,
early October at event, with her daughter Zindzi.
and were sold
out six weeks later. Also, Adele secured
some top drawer supporters for the
entertainment on the day.
Key note speaker was Helen Fawkes,
the BBC journalist who writes a regular
column for Ovacome’s newsletter
about her journey with ovarian cancer.
“Helen told us her story of living
with ovarian cancer with her natural
humour and professionalism; at once
making us laugh and then the next
minute bringing tears to our eyes,”
says Adele.
Apricot store displays.
Then there was the singer Ayanna Blair-
Ford. “At a private family event last year,
I found myself in the same room
as the incredible voice that is
Ayanna Blair-Ford. Only 17, doing
A-Levels and hoping to pursue a
career in architecture. We were
delighted when Ayana agreed to
be our featured entertainer at this
year’s event,” says Adele.
But the models - all ovarian cancer
patients at some time - were the
stars of the show, says Adele.
“They brought their energy and
enthusiasm to the room.”
They were
dressed top
to toe in
clothing
from Apricot,
generously
donated by the
fashion retailer
for the second
year running.
They strutted
their stuff on
three catwalks,
each with a
different theme.
The final one was all teal and included
the beautiful Apricot dress which was
designed exclusively for Ovacome,
Retail therapy
with all proceeds from it going to the
charity.
A special thanks should also be given
to Barry M, which provided two
manicurists for the day to paint visitors’
nails teal, as well as teal varnish for the
goody bags. This was part of the Teal
Tips campaign which ran throughout
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in
March, raising hundreds of pounds and
awareness for the charity.
Thanks also to Ovacome supporter,
the milliner Philip Treacy who kindly
donated another hat to be auctioned
on the day, raising £500.
All together: Ovacome members empowered in teal.
• If you would like to take part in Tea
with Ovacome 2015, please email
TEAwithOVACOME@yahoo.co.uk.
The beautiful teal dress and the Ovacome branded canvas tote bag that fashion retailer Apricot
designed especially for us this awareness month have raised a staggering £17,000 for the charity.
During March Apricot stores had special displays for the items and staff were dressed in teal. The
outlets sold Ovacome pin badges, with collection tins and information on ovarian cancer at tills.
This is all thanks to Ovacome member Adele Sewell. She persuaded Apricot to produce the dress
and bag after a chance meeting at a friend’s daughter’s 21st birthday party with Karen McGhie, who
drove the project forward.
The Ovacome dress, above, is still available in sizes 8, 12 and 16 at the reduced price of £25.
www.apricotonline.co.uk
8 Phone Ovacome’s nurse led support line on 0845 371 0554 it together

A day of empowerment
Some 40 members gathered for Ovacome’s annual Members’ Day in what was an
uplifting and informative occasion on the latest treatments, how to deal with sex
after surgery and to be confident in dealing with cancer specialists.
Topping the bill for the day was Dr Richard Osborne, a
medical oncologist at the Dorset Cancer Centre in Poole. He
set the tone by telling members that he wanted to “transfer
my personal enthusiasm about the progress in treatment for
ovarian cancer”, which he said was making steady year-onyear
and discernible decade-on-decade improvements.
He assured members
that we are entering
a time of change with
the “chemotherapyalone
era” coming to
an end. Personalised
treatment plans, he
said, are replacing a
one-shot approach
for all and multiple
options are available to fight the late stage disease which
three out of four ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed with.
With this being the case, many women will face a life of
treating the ovarian cancer as a chronic disease, he said.
“We want to cure ovarian
cancer, but have to accept
that in the majority of
cases it will be about
disease modification: To
make the cancer inactive
and give women a longer
life. Actually, doctors very
rarely cure anything, but
modify it as we see with
high blood pressure and
diabetes.”
A fond farewell
Noëline Young (pictured above
receiving flowers of thanks from
Ovacome’s chief executive Louise
Bayne) stepped down as chair at
Members’ Day after 10 years.
Members’ feedback:
‘As always, a great day. My only complaint is
that there is never enough time to talk with as
many people as one might wish’
‘It was worth coming for Dr Richard Osborne’s
presentation alone- very informative and useful.
All speakers very good and well organised day.’
The introduction of
avastin, as a maintenance
drug to treat late stage
disease, fits with this.
But while it gives cause
for optimism we should
not be cracking open the
champagne yet, said Dr
Osborne. “Avastin is not a magic wand. It has its place, but
we should not get too worked up about it. There’s uncertainty
about who to treat with it. Those higher-risk women with
residual disease after treatment seem to do better.”
Other new and exciting strategies
are emerging, he said, including
personalised therapy based
on molecular profiling and
immunotherapy, in which the immune
system is reactivated to fight the
cancer. Then there is
supra-radical surgery
involving lasers and
around 12 hours on
the operating table
and anti-androgen
therapy, to ‘switch off’ male hormones in
women (Coral trial).
Meanwhile, hot topics being debated in
the medical community include giving
oophorectomy surgery for BRCA mutation carriers; surgery
or chemotherapy first (CHORUS trial); giving dosedense
paclitaxel (ICON 8 trial) and PARP inhibitors as
maintenance therapy to BRCA carriers (see pages 6 and 7).
This is all shows that the chemotherapy alone era is ending,
said Dr Osborne. “New strategies are emerging of targeting
therapy, turning switches off, using the patient’s personalised
genetic make up and harmonising the immune system. But at
the same time earlier diagnosis remains a very high priority.”
• Talks were also given by Dr Helen Fairhurst on sex after
surgery (see pages 10 and 11) and there was a confidence
building workshop from trainer Deb Puleston (see
Ovacome’s autumn/winter 2014 newsletter).
Senior help
members’ day
Dr Richard Osborne: end of
chemo-only era.
Senior research associate, Lindsay Fraser, appealed
for members to help her with a new area of research
‘exploring the journey of women diagnosed with ovarian
cancer’ in the Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre
at UCL’s Institute for Women’s Health. The research will
explore the journey of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer,
from the patient perspective by talking to women and their
families, rather than examining medical records. Seven
women came forward, but Lindsay sill needs women aged
70-plus, along with their partners, adult children and friends
to help with the scope of the first interview study. Contact
l.fraser@ucl.ac.uk or phone Lindsay on 020 3447 2114.
it together
Phone Ovacome’s nurse led support line on 0845 371 0554 9

feature
The big taboo
Sex may be the last thing on your mind when recovering from an ovarian cancer
diagnosis. But there is plenty help available to get your mind and body in the
right place after treatment, says Dr Helen Fairhurst from the Winton Psychosexual
Medicine Clinic.
For many, returning to a normal sex life after treatment
for ovarian cancer can be difficult. But it is even more of a
problem if the subject remains taboo for patients, partners
and the medical profession. A study in the British Journal of
Cancer in 2003 * found that while a majority of healthcare
professionals thought most women
with ovarian cancer would experience
difficulties, only one in four doctors
and one in five nurses brought the
subject up with patients.
Things may have moved on since the
2003 study and some cancer centres
– such as Dorset, where I work
offer exceptional support to women
through their gynaecological nurses.
However, clinicians – and patients
themselves – often need to do more.
Dr Helen Fairhurst
For instance, there is a network of
pyschosexual clinics on hand throughout the UK, run by
members of The Institute of Psychosexual Medicine. Women
can access these clinics by self-referral or referral by their GP or
other health professionals.
And women themselves need to feel empowered to ask
questions. Your focus may be on getting over the cancer. But
don’t be afraid to bring up the subject of sexuality and how
it may be affected by the type of treatment you are having
as soon as you feel ready to discuss it. The sooner the better.
We know quality of life and general wellbeing can be greatly
enhanced if problems with sexuality are addressed early on.
Sexual problems are not always just down to physical reasons.
Emotional factors, not always experienced at a conscious
level, interfere with sexual pleasure. The underlying causes
of a problem may be physical or psychological in varying
proportions, but are rarely limited to one or the other.
There are several ways cancer and its treatments can undermine
a person’s sexuality. The impact of surgery, chemotherapy and
radiotherapy will be direct and physical. But there may be other
obstacles when it comes to intimacy, such as feeling disfigured,
too tired to bother, changes in sensory perception and difficulty
reaching orgasm. Also women can feel that their body, which
has been prodded and probed by the health professionals, is no
longer really part of them.
But remember, however, that the ‘core’ of your being inside
you is maintained, regardless of the treatment you have had.
Lack of libido
Low sexual desire or libido is a common problem. Many
different emotional and physical factors can affect sexual
desire and may be present in women living with cancer.
Tiredness, stress, relationship problems, menopause
symptoms, worries about children, elderly relatives, finances
and work, or difficulties accepting the changes in body image
that come after surgery are just some examples. And of
course, in some cases sex may be a low priority after facing a
cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Coping with illness symptoms and the effects of treatment
can be challenging enough. Women may feel too unwell to
summon up the energy for the exertions of sex, but still long
for physical closeness. Others find it difficult to enjoy sex
without thinking of their cancer.
At the same time, partners may have difficulty relating to
the anxieties and fears that come with a cancer diagnosis.
They might not understand why their partner feels less
sexy, especially once treatment is complete, and they
can see an outward return to normality. This can lead to
communication misfirings and a downward spiral becomes
established, just at the time when some love and support is
vital. If a woman is harbouring anger and resentment towards
her partner, it can be difficult to get in the right frame of
mind to enjoy sex.
Solutions will vary from person to person, but discussion with
partners, friends and health professionals is often beneficial.
Patients often ask about using hormones to improve their
libido. While it is true that both oestrogen and testosterone
are needed for good sexual function, and are reduced by the
removal of both ovaries, many other factors can influence
sexual desire. This means that hormone replacement may
not be the solution. Also, there is uncertainty about whether
taking these hormones to deal with a sudden surgical
menopause could increase cancer recurrence risk.
A recent study showed that women given Hormone
Replacement Therapy (HRT) after a surgically induced
menopause following treatment for epithelial ovarian
cancer ** had improved longevity as well as a good control of
10 Phone Ovacome’s nurse led support line on 0845 371 0554
it together

feature
symptoms such as hot flushes. However, it is still difficult to
be confident that HRT is not a risk factor for recurrence.
Change in sensation
Altered sexual pleasure is another common problem found in
women who have had surgery for gynaecological cancer.
For some women, orgasms have always been generated by
the muscle contraction of their uterus at the time of climax.
Following hysterectomy, they are no longer able to feel this
sensation and may find it difficult to orgasm through clitoral
stimulation instead.
They may even be scared to try clitoral stimulation fearing
it might harm the healing process or possibly even lead to a
recurrence of their cancer. While logic tells them that this is
not correct, they find it difficult to get rid of this fear.
Physical examination by a doctor trained in psychosexual
medicine, although not always welcomed by women
after treatment, can then be useful helping correct
misunderstandings about effects of surgery, improve body
image and sexual confidence and to face feelings of loss in a
caring environment.
Painful sex
Painful sex, or dyspareunia can also start after a surgical
menopause. The lower level of oestrogen caused by this can
lead to the vagina becoming dry, thin and losing its former
elasticity.
Local creams and pessaries containing oestrogen hormones
can help. Examples include Vagifem pessaries (which contain
oestrogen hormones), Sylk natural lubricants and Replens
moisturisers. But, as with libido, this might not be the
complete solution and looking at emotional factors can be
very important too.
Vaginismus, the involuntary spasm of the muscles at
the entrance of the vagina often due to subconscious
unacknowledged emotions, is another painful complaint.
One woman I have met with this problem coped very well
during her hospital admission for surgical treatment, but
the true impact of her cancer diagnosis came later when she
started to experience anxiety about her health and also anger.
Her previously active and fulfilling sex life had become
virtually non-existent and painful. Her self-confidence
suffered: she felt ugly and unattractive. Her husband seemed
to take the brunt of her anger not least because he was
apparently unable to empathise with her anxiety about
cancer recurrence. He just didn’t understand that she needed
compliments, to be understood, to be listened to.
Physical examination revealed dryness of the vagina wall,
as well as some vaginismus: both likely to be contributing
to the painful sex. She was not at all keen to use hormone
replacement, even in the form of locally applied oestrogens,
despite reassurance from her cancer specialist that it would
not increase her likelihood of cancer recurrence.
She used a vibrator to help open up her vaginal tissue – this
was her choice as she hated the idea suggested by her surgeon
to use graded vaginal dilators instead. Most importantly, we
were able to make the link between her vaginismus and her
emotional difficulties, resulting in her angry wretched vagina
barring entry to her ‘annoying’ husband.
She also gained some valuable support from friends,
including holding a virtual funeral for her womb and also
from other women at the local cancer support group.
• Dr Helen Fairhurst gave a talk on sexuality after treatment
for gynaecological cancer at Ovacome’s recent Members’
Day.
The two studies cited in this piece are: Lack of communication
between healthcare professionals and women with ovarian cancer
about sexual issues * British Journal of Cancer 2003, Stead,
Brown, Fallowfield and Selby and ** Eeles RA et al, Adjuvant
Hormone Therapy Improves Survival in Epithelial Ovarian
Cancer: Results of the AHT randomised trial, submitted to the
British Medical Journal June 2014.
Helpful resources
Ovacome has some useful fact sheets in this area -
‘Ovarian cancer and sexuality’ and ‘Treatment-induced
menopause’ - www.ovacome.org.uk
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/
Livingwithandaftercancer/Relationshipscommunication/
Sexuality/Sexuality.aspx
Institute of Pyschosexual Medicine for a list of therapist
locations - www.ipm.org.uk
College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists -
www.cosrt.org.uk
The Menopause Exchange -
www.menopause-exchange.co.uk
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston: Dr Sharon
Bober’s Sexual Health Program and videos -
www.dana-farber.org/Health-Library/How-cancertreatment-affects-sexuality-in-women.aspx.
This piece has been reviewed by Dr Richard Osborne,
a consultant medical oncologist at the Dorset Cancer
Centre in Poole.
it together
Phone Ovacome’s nurse led support line on 0845 371 0554 11

Our magnificent
marathon team
Ovarian cancer survivor Jackie Rose was among the
runners who competed in April’s London Marathon
for Ovacome, with the group raising an enormous
£28,220.62 for the charity.
Jackie Rose: fulfils personal ambition running London Marathon.
Jackie, from Hackney in North
London, was diagnosed with stage 1C
clear cell carcinoma ovarian cancer six
years ago. She has always wanted to run
the London Marathon and on the day
she completed it in just over six hours,
raising £981.12.
Julie Caudle,
from Cowes,
the Isle of
Wight, has
raised £3,647.
She took up
running after
her mother
died of
ovarian cancer
aged 67 in
2009, which
drove Julie
Julie Caudle: now a
“runaholic”.
on to becoming a self-confessed
“runaholic”. She says the only running
she did before her mother’s death was
for the bus. Training for the marathon
was “very hard work” says Julie,
“but nothing
compared with
what people who
have the disease
are suffering”.
Other London
marathon runners
Ovacome would
like to thank are:
Gareth Rosser,
who raised
£2,593.16;
Richard Stock
(£4,507.50);
Eleanor Bancroft (£1,599.38); Claire
Zahra (£3,168.31); Michael Lawlor
(£1,453.16); Zare de Haldevang
(£8,601.99); Lizzy Pollot (£910) and
Preethi Sundaram (£759).
fundraising
A funny walk…
for a very serious cause
Comedian Nick Banks and his
entourage of fellow funnymen
from the north-east raised £4,048.94
for Ovacome with their Hadrian’s Wall
Walk 2014.
The group walked 84 miles
along the famous landmark,
taking in venues along the
way with a week’s worth of
gigs. Among the group was
TV comic Patrick Monahan
and well-known performers
Seymour Mace and Silky.
Nick, who runs the event for
a different charity every year,
Kevin Stephens
smashes £10K
of £100K target
Kevin Stephens’ pledge to raise
£100,000 for Ovacome may have
seemed wildly ambitious when he made
it back in autumn 2012.
But, Kevin has smashed £10,000 so far
by being on fundraising duty 24/7. He
never misses an opportunity to boost
the charity’s coffers; whether that is
by getting local businesses to display
collection tins, friends to take part in
sponsored runs or new acquaintances to
dispose of loose change.
But Kevin’s ambition is twofold. He has
also worked tirelessly to raise awareness
about the symptoms of the disease,
which took his wife Loraine nearly two
years ago. He has immersed himself in
finding out the latest developments
about the disease, becoming part of the
ovarian cancer community as a regular
and very welcome face at Ovacome’s
Members’ Day and the fundraising
event Tea With Ovacome.
To support Kevin visit
www.justgiving.com/Loraine-Stephens
says the journey is becoming harder
each time. “It was great fun, but we
were a year older than last time and
I damaged my achilles heel and Jim
Bayes, his knee,” he laughs.
Funnymen don their walking boots for Ovacome.
12 Phone Ovacome’s nurse led support line on 0845 371 0554 it together

postbag
A safe place
Meet Ovacome’s new wellbeing columnist, Samixa Shah, who will be answering
questions from fellow members in the winter newsletter onwards.
Samixa, who has been treated for ovarian cancer herself, worked as a pharmacist for almost 25 years before deciding “to
help people understand how to take responsibility of their own health, rather than just rely on medicines”.
She did a course in neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) in 2005 and completed a life coaching diploma in 2009. She
then completed a Diploma in Wellness Coaching Skills in 2013.
Samixa has been working as a wellbeing coach at an NHS health centre in London since January 2012 and is still
registered as a pharmacist, which she says helps her “immensely” as a wellbeing coach, “since I understand a number of
health conditions and their treatments and can therefore coach anybody who is having difficulty in their life either due to
their health condition or their lifestyle”.
She says: “I also feel that my interest in alternative therapies helps me coach people who may have difficulties managing
their health with prescribed medicines and feel that they want to use alternative therapies.”
“I strongly believe that the mind-body
connection is of paramount importance
in any healing process as well as in
maintaining a state of wellbeing.
Looking after your mental health during
investigations and after an ovarian
cancer diagnosis is just as important as
the physical side and I have been doing
this in a number of ways myself before
and since being diagnosed with FIGO
stage 4, grade 3 serous carcinoma of the
ovary, primary peritoneum and tubal in
May 2012, aged 49.
Louise L. Hay states in her book – ‘You
Can Heal Your Life’ – “Every cell within
your body responds to every thought you
think and every word you speak.”
This has also been researched in the
book ‘The Hidden Messages in Water’,
by Masaru Emoto.
I informed all my close friends and family
as soon as I was diagnosed. When I was
undergoing treatment and thereafter I
carefully chose to be around friends and
family members who would be positive
and would not bring me down.
I made sure I told everyone what support
I needed from them and was very clear
about when they could come and visit
me and also who could come with me
when I went for my chemotherapy. My
main priority was to be strong both
mentally and physically so that my
husband - who is registered blind - and
my 23-year-old son and other people
around me did not feel helpless. I also
made sure that if someone called I
would only answer the call if it was
someone I wished to speak to. I decided
I had to be in charge since it was
my body and ME going through this
experience!!
I also made sure that during the seven
months I underwent chemotherapy
and surgery, I surrounded myself with
positive books, television programmes,
podcasts and radio shows. I got a lot of
resources from the Macmillan Cancer
Support Centre and did a course in
Mindfulness as well.
My training as a pharmacist and
wellbeing coach came in very
useful since I understood how the
drugs worked and was able to
coach myself to think positively
and make use of my resources to
achieve my health related goals.
I went back to work as a
wellbeing coach in February
2013 and was still undergoing
treatment every three weeks
as I was having Avastin, which
stopped in October 2013.
During this time and even
today I continue with my
mindfulness practice and
make sure that I live for the present
moment and enjoy each day to the
fullest.
I have learnt to appreciate even the
smallest joys of life like watching a
butterfly fly past me or the birds singing
in the garden. I do not worry about the
future since I do not have control over
that. I can only have control over my
thoughts and the present moment.”
Edgware, Middlesex.
- If you would like to send in
a question to Samixa, write to
ovacome@ovacome.org.uk
it together
Phone Ovacome’s nurse led support line on 0845 371 0554 13

postbag
From the frontline
The other day I was at hospital for a check-up. As I waited I showed the woman
who sat next to me some photographs of cows that I’d taken. It may seem a bit
strange but we were doing something that most ordinary people think nothing
of. We’d got talking because of a shared interest.
She sang in classical
music concerts and she
thought I might be
creative in my spare
time. I told her it was
Helen Fawkes: turns to photography distraction.
funny she should say that as I was a
keen photographer and was having an
exhibition of my pictures of cattle. I
got my mobile out to show her some
of the images.
Coming from the countryside I enjoy
taking snaps of these beautiful, big
beasts. So when I came up with my
bucket list, which I call my List for
Living, number 21 was to have my
very own exhibition.
I’ve taken hundreds of photos of cows
and steers on my dad’s farm. I like it
when they look straight at the camera
and seem to pose for me. Something
Strong sense of purpose
remember thinking that I had pulled
I a muscle and blaming the pain on
dancing in impossibly high heels at a
wedding party. The pain went away,
but a month later I went to another
wedding, same dress, same heels, same
dancing and the pain came back - only
this time it didn’t go away.
I went to work as usual on that fateful
day in October 2012, but I had to leave
mid morning as the pain got substantially
worse. I drove to my surgery. The
receptionist took one look at my teary
face and next minute I was sat with a GP.
The words ‘mass’ and ‘cyst’ floated across
my consciousness, which hospital would
I prefer? Could I drive to the emergency
department?
I didn’t call my husband until quite a bit
later, stupid really but he was busy and I
had only put four hours on the car park
ticket. I remember the lovely registrar
in the emergency department and the
look on the face of the radiologist as
the ultrasound scan passed over my
abdomen, I remember them asking
which consultant
was on call and if the
gynaecological registrar
could come down,
I remember thinking
I’ve got cancer.
It was in fact stage
4 advanced ovarian
cancer, with some lung
mets and a breast lump
thrown in for good
measure. I found out on
Friday and on Sunday
I spent five hours in
surgery. I was home five days later and
five weeks later started my Carboplatin
and Paclitaxel chemo regime.
Amanda Barnes: nobody
knows the future.
Photography, with thanks to
The News, Portsmouth.
Fast forward and I have been back
at work full-time, post chemo, for a
year. I’ve finished my dissertation and
graduated with my masters in advanced
which appears to come easily to them!
These are the ones I selected for the
display at my friend’s tea shop in
Worcestershire.
Seeing my pictures on the walls felt like
such an achievement. Something that
had nothing to do with cancer. When
you live with this disease it’s hard not
to be defined by it. The cheeky cows in
my photos have no idea how they have
helped me with this.
• Keep an eye on Helen’s blog
to see where her photographic
exhibition will be displayed next at
helenfawkes.wordpress.com
clinical practice, travelled to Verona
to watch opera in the open air, seen
La Bohème at the Albert Hall, been
on the Queen Mary to drink
champagne in the sunshine on
my birthday, bought a building
site of a house and am enjoying
choosing paint and bricks! Life
is good - bracketed with three
monthly checks that still make
me worry and more CT scans
than I would like.
I still have my mets, but I also
have a strong sense of purpose
and a fabulous husband who
is my soulmate and my rock.
There is no way that I am ready
for anything less than a fantastic life.
Ovarian cancer hasn’t changed me,
but it has made me acknowledge my
spirituality and embrace my life. None
of us know what tomorrow will bring
and that’s just fine by me.
Amanda Barnes, Havant, Hampshire.
14 Phone Ovacome’s nurse led support line on 0845 371 0554 it together

postbag
The comfort of words
The Ovacome newsletter was my first link to other ladies who had been diagnosed
with ovarian cancer, when I myself was diagnosed with stage 3c of the disease in
May 2013.
Reading other people’s stories gave
me hope and made me realise that
for many of us life does go on. So it
was interesting to attend Ovacome’s
members’ day this year and meet some
of those people and the team who
compile the newsletter.
We all know the frustrations of being
first diagnosed and learning that the
cancer has been there a while and
for many of us that it has spread. But
what was heartening to hear was that
the treatment of ovarian cancer has
improved considerably over the past
10 years and scientists and doctors seem
to be on the verge of new treatments.
Fingers crossed we will be enjoying life
despite the cancer for years to come.
What I also learned at the members’
day was that several people were quite
young when diagnosed - and there
was me thinking that it only affected
older women. I was aged 65. It was my
youngest of three boys’ birthdays!
I have been lucky on my journey
with having few side effects from the
chemotherapy - neuropathy in my feet
is uncomfortable, but not painful and
having mouth ulcers and losing my hair
was tolerable. I now have a wonderful
collection of caps and scarves.
I was given four doses of Carboplatin
and Paclitaxel, followed by debulking
surgery - on my second son’s birthday
- and two more rounds of the same
chemotherapy.
From February this year I have been on
caelyx. This seems to be working and
my hair is growing back. I just hope
my immune system doesn’t collapse
again and that I don’t have to have any
more fluid drained from my abdomen or
pleural cavity.
We all have a different wish list
of things we want to do. One
thing I would like to do is see my
grandchildren become adults.
My 16-year-old granddaughter has
set me a challenge to write a book
of poetry - well it is more likely to
be a booklet. My first attempt was
about cancer and was written in the
Living in the moment
Jenny Hayes: ‘I feel
like I’m on parole.’
chemotherapy unit while having my
fourth of six doses of caelyx.
As a semiretired
teacher of
English as
a foreign
language
I love
language
and find
writing poetry
cathartic.
Sometimes
poetry has
a deeper
meaning than
other writing
and it allows you to say things that you
can’t any other way.
Let me throw out a challenge to you
all to have a go and write a poem.
Maybe we can publish some in the
next magazine.
Send me yours to pat_abra@hotmail.com
Pat Abra, Margate, Kent.
was diagnosed in 2007 with breast cancer. My treatment was radiotherapy and tamoxifen with three
I monthly checks with my oncologist. At that time I felt my oncologist was my knight in shining armour.
Every visit to him, with his kind voice and caring personality, gave me another three months, then six
months and eventually a whole year of freedom to live and plan for the future. I took every opportunity to
enjoy life after breast cancer.
Then in 2012 I was
diagnosed with
ovarian cancer,
stage 3c, with the
added bonus of being BRCA 2 positive.
I was given chemotherapy and some
hard to swallow statistics.
As a result, I make carefully chosen
plans for the future. I avoid getting
into a relationship with a partner, and
although I would love to, I won’t get
another dog.
Now I view my oncologist as my prison
parole officer. I see him every three
months and he gives me another three
months to get on with things. Parole,
yippee! Now that does make me live in
the moment.
Pat Abra: writing poetry
can be cathartic.
I’m fortunate that I run a couple of
businesses which affords me to shop till
I drop and if I want cheering up and see
something I want, I will buy it.
I am ‘on parole’ just now with my body
behaving. I’ve just returned from a holiday
to Dubai and I will eat cake today.
Jenny Hayes, Leighton Buzzard,
Bedfordshire.
it together
Phone Ovacome’s nurse led support line on 0845 371 0554 15

fundraising
A bake off
challenge
for summer
The sun should be shining and
it’s time to put your inner
Mary Berry or Paul Hollywood
talents to good use by holding a
Big Ovacome Bake Off.
All you need is a venue, contestants to bring along
their bakes a judge or two and a Big Ovacome
Bake Off party pack which is available free to help
members hold baking
fundraisers throughout
the summer.
Why not pull out the
gingham table cloths
and host an event for
friends and family in your
own garden to help raise
money for the charity.
The bake off could be
part of your village fête.
Or perhaps you could stage a village verses village
competition, asking local chefs to judge the bakes
and create a bit of a fanfare by inviting along local
dignitories, celebrities and press.
The packs, sponsored by national convenience store
chain Nisa, were originally launched for awareness
month. They have been so successful, however, that
Ovacome is making them available on-going.
Each pack - available from Ovacome’s office -
contains bunting, guidelines on how to run an event,
recipe ideas, a certificate for the winner and even a
branded tea towel to clean up afterwards.
Further tea towels and also aprons can be purchased
from Ovacome to use as prizes for the bake off
perhaps, with respective retails of £5 and £10 a piece.
Other merchandise - such as Ovacome-branded
balloons and T-shirts to wear on the day - is also
available to help your event go as smoothly as if
Mary Berry were organising it herself.
• For your free party pack and other Ovacome
merchandise contact Sonia Vig in Ovacome’s
head office on 020 7299 6654.
Ready
baked
Tens of Ovacome supporters have been holding bake offs since
spring to help raise thousands of pounds for the charity.
• Top fundraising bake off was an event organised by Kirsti Fox,
who has won tea for two at The Ritz with Ovacome’s patron
Jenny Agutter. Together with the
Mildenhall Lions volunteers she
raised £900 for the charity. They
recruited local chefs to judge the
Great Mildenhall Bake Off, which
helped attract the media and also
some 70 contestants.
Contestants paid to enter, the cakes were
sold and there was a raffle. Kirsti decided
to have seven categories: a sponge of up
to eight inches; a tray bake; cup cakes;
a signature bake, scones; 12s and under
and a showstopper.
Most interest came from the children’s Kirsti and Andy Fox and
Ann Taylor-Balls (left to right).
section which had more than
35 entrants. And the crowds were wooed
with a four tier wedding cake and another depicting a beach scene.
“It was fun, and I couldn’t have managed it without the help of the
other Lions Club volunteers,” says Kirsti, who is now planning a
parachute jump to raise further money for Ovacome this summer.
• Elizabeth Buckley’s bake off, which
she held at a friend’s restaurant in
Sandbach, raised £555. She charged
£3 on the door, to cover the cost of
refreshments, combined the event
with a raffle and sold the cake after
judging.
A fun day for all.
She needed nerves of steel with just
10 people signing up on Eventbrite the weekend before. In the end
20 people baked, including five children, and it was a “truly fantastic
fun day”, with tens of people attending says Elizabeth.
She would like to give a special thank
you to her friend Suzanne Gee who not
only allowed the bake off to be held at
her restaurant, Gee’s Kitchen, but also
ran the Marbury 10K raising a further
£305 for Ovacome. This helped bring
Elizabeth’s final fundraising tally, which
included donations for her posting bald
photos of herself as famous characters
online, to almost £1,600.
Elizabeth Buckley (right)
rewards entrant.
16 Phone Ovacome’s nurse led support line on 0845 371 0554 it together