Cure Our Ovarian Cancer is honoured to be invited to take part in a global expert panel discussion on rare ovarian cancers.
The talk is part of the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition (WOCC) Annual Partner Meeting. The WOCC works with ovarian cancer organisations around the world and conducts independent reports to create a world where every woman with ovarian cancer has the best chance of survival and the best quality of life, wherever she may live.
Despite the name – rare ovarian cancers aren’t that rare. As many as 1 in 3 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer have a rare form of the disease. While significant inequities exist for all ovarian cancers, rarer ovarian cancers face further barriers when it comes to research and accessing good care.
The work we do in New Zealand is important, and as a small organisation, we are really proud of the global impact we have had in the rare ovarian cancer space, work that benefits not only women internationally but also those diagnosed in New Zealand.
Our rare ovarian cancer work focuses specifically on low-grade serous carcinoma – a difficult-to-treat ovarian cancer that disproportionately affects younger women. Though it is rare, approximately 40,000 to 180,000 women globally are currently living with this specific ovarian cancer.
Our work within the rare ovarian cancer community focuses on empowering women with the disease to have an impact within their own communities and countries by supporting researchers working specifically in the low-grade serous carcinoma space and by working with global experts to improve the quality of information available to help more women access appropriate care.
We are keen to share our learnings with other ovarian cancer organisations around the world and demonstrate how, despite being a small organisation on the other side of the world, by thinking smart and strategically, it has been possible for our work to have a global impact.
Further information about the event: World Ovarian Cancer Coalition website.
OCFNZ started as Cure Our Ovarian Cancer in 2018, with a focus on low-grade serous ovarian cancer. In 2020, we expanded our focus to include all ovarian cancer and, in 2024, we changed our name to the Ovarian Cancer Foundation New Zealand.
