"Current Reality and Future Solutions for ovarian cancer" conference reveals important scientific achievement

Dr. Shadi Al-Khayyat, an oncology consultant at King Abdul Aziz University Hospital in Jeddah, said that the ovarian cancer treatment witnesses important changes that provides new treatment options for those patients who represents 4% of all cancer cases among women globally.

Dr. Al-Khayyat’s statement came during his participations in a press conference entitled as "The Current Reality and Future Solutions for Ovarian Cancer", organized by AstraZeneca and the Saudi Oncology Society (SOS) on Sunday, 22 October 2017, at InterContinental Hotel in  Jeddah, in the presence of medical experts and media representatives.

 Dr. Al-Khayyat clarified that the therapeutic options for ovarian cancer have not seen any significant development for many years. It was mostly confined to surgery, which is considered as a first step in the treatment pathway followed by other treatments, such as chemotherapy, which has led ovarian cancer patients to face difficult choices, until a new class of medications (PARP inhibitors) has been developed, led by AstraZeneca. Which has shown significant improvement in delaying disease progression compared to older therapies.

Dr. Shady classified this new class of medications to be most effective with ovarian cancer patients who have a mutation in the (BRCA) gene, and is characterized by ease of administration (orally) and delays the need for further chemotherapy, and provides a better chance in delaying disease progression, which allows patients to carry on with their daily activities and strengthens them in their fight with the disease.

On the other hand, Trad Al-Khelaiwi, Oncology Business Unit Director and Head of Governmental Affairs at AstraZeneca, confirmed that: “This development by AstraZeneca offers hope beyond ovarian cancer, as research has shown that the medication could be effective in treating other types of cancer such as breast cancer, and prostate cancer, based on the positive results shown in recent studies. 

Furthermore, Trad Added, “There are currently more than 60 studies ongoing in the field of oncology in different stages, to ensure that we always provide new solutions to cancer patients, through which we can provide them with a better life”

Al-Khelaiwi also stressed the importance of intensifying efforts to raise awareness on ovarian cancer among all segments of the Saudi society, revealing that ovarian cancer mortality in the kingdom in the early stages of the disease is only 19% compared to 81% for advanced stages. Unfortunately, only 36% of women are diagnosed at an early stage, while the majority are diagnosed at an advanced stage.

Dr. Faisal Al-Safi - Section Head and Consultant Of Gynecologic Oncology, Department Of Oncology, King Abdulaziz Medical City For Ministry Of National Guard, stated that ovarian cancer therapy has been improving due to the development of scientific research particularly during the last 5 years, which led to huge and important strides offering more promising solutions for ovarian cancer which causes an annual mortality of around 150,000 women globally. Dr. Faisal emphasized on the importance of undergoing BRCA gene testing for all ovarian cancer patients to identify who will most benefit from the new treatment options available.

From his side, Dr. Meteb Al-Fohaidi, president of Saudi Oncology Society added that the high number of deaths among ovarian cancer patients is related to several factors, including the difficulty of its identification before reaching advanced stages due to the nature of cancer cells proliferation.

Moreover, Dr Meteb stated that previous studies revealed that 13% of doctors in Saudi Arabia are unaware of the latest recommendations of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), and the Society of Gynecological Oncology (SGO) on the importance of testing for BRCA testing when needed.

Al-Fohaidi also stressed on the importance of raising public health awareness, saying that there is a relation between ovarian cancer and breast cancer, as BRCA mutations are responsible for 5 – 10% of all breast cancer cases, which suggests the importance of conducting thorough family history for breast cancer patients.

On the other hand, Ismail Shehada, president of AstraZeneca Saudi Arabia, said the company is keen on supporting awareness efforts around the disease, thus, AstraZeneca is organizing events, and conferences to meet with, and work hand in hand with the medical community in Saudi Arabia to discuss the latest updates in research and results which will help the patients and hopefully offer them a cure in the future.