We are thrilled to announce that in partnership with Eve Appeal, we have awarded a Fellowship to Dr Neil Ryan, Chief Scientific Officer, Clinical Lecturer and Subspecialty Trainee in Gynaecology Oncology from the University of Edinburgh. This fellowship aims to create a new blood test to detect ovarian cancer at its earliest stages when it is most treatable.
Finding ovarian cancer early is critical to helping those diagnosed live longer and have more time with their loved ones. Currently, most cases are diagnosed too late, leading to poorer outcomes. Neil’s research hopes to change this. He plans to look for proteins that are signs of ovarian cancer that can be used as a blood test to pick it up in the earliest stages.
“We are incredibly excited to fund Neil’s work” says Athena Lamnisos, CEO of Eve. She adds: “Ovarian cancer remains one of the hardest gynaecological cancers to detect early, and this research could make a critical difference. Neil has already made significant contributions to The Eve Appeal’s mission, and his passion and commitment make him a valued asset to our research efforts."
There is currently no national screening test for ovarian cancer. If someone goes to the doctor with symptoms that could be caused by ovarian cancer, a blood test will be done to look for CA125, which can be elevated in ovarian cancers. But this test isn’t very specific as high levels of CA125 can be caused by other issues as well as cancer. The level of CA125 can also be normal even when someone does have ovarian cancer.
Because of this, the CA125 blood test picks up just 5-6 in every 10 cases of early ovarian cancer in postmenopausal women (who haven’t had a period for 12 months or more). Sadly, most ovarian cancers are found at a late stage, and just three in 10 of these women live for five years of more.
Treatments for ovarian cancer have come a long way in the last 20 years and late diagnosis is the biggest hurdle we face in helping more people survive their diagnosis. Neil hopes that the proteins he finds could lead to larger studies looking in to whether they could be used as a screening test for ovarian cancer.
He will look at blood samples from women with early ovarian cancers, healthy women, and women with non-cancerous cysts. Neil will try to find the key proteins in the blood that show up in those with early-stage ovarian cancers. His goal is to create a test that could be widely used by the NHS.
Alastair Richards, CEO of North West Cancer Research shares his hopes for the project: “This Fellowship is part of North West Cancer Research and The Eve Appeal’s commitment to investing in the future, and the brightest minds in gynaecological cancer research. We hope that Neil’s work on ovarian cancer will lead to improvements in early detection, and ultimately, survival rates for women".
He will be working with two patient advisory groups, bringing in the thoughts of women with experience of ovarian cancer. He says: "Being awarded The Eve Appeal and North West Cancer Research Fellowship is not only a massive honour and privilege, but it also represents a pivotal moment in my career. Working alongside these transformative charities has been a long-held ambition, as their commitment to funding research that has a tangible impact on patient care is perfectly aligned with my dedication to improving outcomes for women with gynaecological cancer.”
A huge thank you for all of your support for making this Fellowship possible. Neil also shares these thanks: “I am so grateful to all the donors who have made this funding possible and I will work tirelessly to ensure their support translates into meaningful results for ovarian cancer care."
