Identifying the informational needs, challenges, and opportunities to improve quality of life for women with ovarian cancer at Tygerberg Hospital in CapeTown, South Africa

Abstract

Background: Ovarian cancer has the highest case-fatality ratio, and most women in the world with ovarian cancer live in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs).^1,4 The Every Woman Study™ (EWS) was introduced in LMICs, as there is limited data on ovarian cancer in these areas. The EWS’s primary aim was to identify the challenges patients with ovarian cancer experience and to find opportunities to improve diagnosis time and quality of life outcomes.

Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Tygerberg Hospital (TBH) Gynaecological Oncology Unit between 1 June and 31 December 2023. Women with ovarian cancer over the age of 18 who were diagnosed within five years of the date of their participation, were included.

Results: Surveys were completed by 36 women. The median age of patients was 54 years. The most common symptom experienced was increased abdominal size (72.2%). Most patients (66.7%) sought advice about their symptoms from their family doctor as their first healthcare provider. Only 25% of patients had heard about ovarian cancer before they were diagnosed. The most important sources of information were identified as attending healthcare workers. More than half of the women (65.5%) had never used the Internet to search for information. A large percentage of patients (82.4%) indicated that their hospital should provide information.

Conclusion: Few women were aware of ovarian cancer in this study. Patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer need more information. With an expected rise in the number of cases, awareness amongst patients and healthcare workers should be prioritised to improve earlier ovarian cancer diagnosis and better quality of life.