Cancer Research UK Annual Review 2011/12

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22 | Cancer survivors give hope to others Helping more women survive ovarian cancer Charity fundraiser and passionate Formula One fan Della Lamden, from Sussex, believes life is for living. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005. Although her cancer hasn’t been cured, she’s doing well. ‘Having cancer changed my life,’ she says. ‘I’ve got through because of my daughter, Bobbie, and some incredible friends. It’s made me a stronger person.’ Some women, like Della, have a greater risk of developing the disease because of faulty genes that are passed on through their families. In the 1990s, our scientists highlighted the role of a gene, called BRCA1, in ovarian cancer. Della has been told that she has a fault in this gene. But not all women with a family history of the disease have a faulty BRCA1. Now our researchers have solved another part of the puzzle. They found that women with mistakes in a different gene, called RAD51D, are also much more likely to develop the disease. Although only a small number of women carry faults in this gene, it is an extremely important discovery. Della Lamden, 49, from Sussex The number of women surviving ovarian cancer has doubled over the last 40 years.
Annual Review 2011/12 | 23 We hope that, in the future, all women with a family history of ovarian cancer will be tested for this fault and offered advice about screening and treatment. Our scientists are also investigating ways to find the best treatment for each woman, based on the genetic make-up of their tumour. Early results suggested that women with a faulty version of RAD51D could benefit from new drugs called PARP inhibitors, offering hope of more tailored treatment in the future. ‘I can’t praise Cancer Research UK’s work highly enough,’ says Della. ‘My mum also had ovarian cancer. This research means that my sisters and daughter could be tested to find out if they’ve inherited a higher risk of cancer too. I get comfort from knowing there’s a greater chance the disease will be diagnosed sooner if people know they carry the faulty gene.’ We’ve played a vital role in transforming treatment for ovarian cancer and improving survival 1980s 1990s 2000s Our researchers discovered a chemotherapy drug, carboplatin, which is now the ‘gold standard’ for treating ovarian cancer. cancerresearchuk.org Our scientists showed the importance of the gene BRCA1 in breast and ovarian cancer and went on to discover the BRCA2 gene. This means women with a family history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer can be tested for faults in these genes so doctors can offer them choices about prevention and screening. Our researchers identified symptoms of ovarian cancer, such as bloating, that persist over time – helping to diagnose more women earlier when their cancer is easier to treat. Our scientists also showed that the contraceptive pill can protect women from ovarian cancer, reducing the risk by up to half.
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