Research led by the University’s Professor Richard Edmondson, Professor of Gynaecological Oncology in the Division of Cancer Sciences, is working to improve outcomes for women with ovarian cancer by focusing on earlier detection and more personalised treatment decisions.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most challenging cancers to detect early, with around 7,000 women diagnosed annually in the UK. Symptoms such as persistent bloating, feeling full quickly or needing to urinate more frequently can often be mistaken for other causes, meaning many women are diagnosed once the disease has already progressed.

Through the Novel Early Markers for Ovarian Cancer (NEMO) consortium, researchers are studying real patient tissue samples to better understand how the disease develops and how pre-cancerous changes could one day be detected and treated before cancer develops.

Professor Edmondson also leads the national IMPRESS2 study, involving 18 treatment centres across the UK, which aims to reduce variation in care and support more informed decision-making between patients and clinicians.

Professor Edmondson said: “If we can detect ovarian cancer earlier and involve patients more fully in treatment decisions, we have a real opportunity to transform outcomes.”

• Find out more about this work.