This week's newsletter gave the good news that 5-year Survival Rates for Ovarian Cancer is rising in England.
The paper, titled: Cancer Survival in England: Patients Diagnosed 2007-2011 and Followed up to 2012 - clearly indicated the increase from 40% to 46%.
You can read the paper at: ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_33....
I had to download the document to read it - which I think anyone interested should do (ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_33....
I hope that link works! It doesn't!! Go to the office for national stats, and search for cancer.
Forgive me for being very suspicious of these stats. I think it would be a great deal more helpful to really concentrate on the different diseases which are together taken as Ov. Ca..
I hope some of us will be raising money for Ovacome this Xmas. I'm also totally against raising money for the charities that run huge television and written campaigns, because I know first hand how much government money they also attract, and that so much of it is wasted on the fundraising campaigns. Seems to me (from my own experience only, of course) that Ovacome do so much to support patients on their own terms and in the ways they value individually.
Sorry to be a wet blanket - or perhaps a realist!
Best wishes,
Isadora.
Dear Isadora
I completely agree with you that we must raise funds for Ovacome who provide this support site. It wasn't so much fundraising that I was thinking about - but more how women with Ovarian Cancer can get together to sing. Several blogs and posts recently have mentioned that women wanted to meet up - particularly a couple of the women in Scotland who are having treatment in Edinburgh so might be able to use the carol singing as an opportunity to get together.
I posted this up because singing isn't taking money away from Ovacome. I shall continue to buy their Christmas Cards and do my bit for them in terms of fundraising. I hope I can also persuade the Big C Choir in Cardiff to join the throng of singers UK-wide. A shame for the Land of Song to be left out of this opportunity!
Ovarian Cancer Action are very different from Ovacome. They're a small charity too that is supporting a great deal of research into ovarian cancer and radical surgical techniques that have seen a dramatic rise in survival rates. I don't think they have a national campaign on television but they do issue leaflets and flyers as do the other ovarian cancer charities.
I know just what you mean about the massive charities and worry about the potential waste.
Of course you're not a wet-blanket. You're a lovely realist and a very lovely person. xxxx Annie
I read it and downloaded it via Ovarian Cancer Action . Its interesting and heartening , at least its on the up. I take Isadora's point that it would have been helpful to have more detail . I also try to support the small charities as I like to see where the money goes . Thanks for posting this Annie , dy xxx
Hi Annie... I think the 40% survival to 46% is the overall survival rate. I wonder whether the 5 year rate has gone up to for those who are diagnosed at a later stage? I'll look again at the document later. Hope you're feeling ok today. I didn't much like the effects of the steroids because I found I couldn't sleep but then I didn't like it when I came off them either. Much love.. Tina x x
It's actually wonderful news for us in the devolved nations campaigning for a Cancer Drugs Fund and better access to Avastin. Adds power to our elbow.
Really wonderful news for patients in England - and that's me now though my heart's in Wales with my friends suffering there.
The bit about the carol singing has been removed from my original post. If you join the Ovarian Cancer Action newsletter you'll see there are carols we can all join in round the country. I thought it would be lovely to have a sing-song with like-minded people even if we don't usually sing.
Love to you all. Xxx Annie
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