Ovacome

They provide a range of support services, including:

• A free telephone support line

• A 24 hour online forum (www.healthunlocked.com/ovacome)

• Email support

• An instant chat service

• Face to face support sessions

• Regular information days for anyone affected by ovarian cancer

• Younger women’s support groups

They produce leaflets and fact sheets, as well as a newsletter three times a year, which includes medical information from some of the top clinicians in the field of ovarian cancer. They work to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of the disease.

Did you know...

• Ovarian cancer is unfortunately frequently misdiagnosed. To create a long term solution, they set up their successful Survivors Teaching Students programme. Working with volunteer ovarian cancer survivors, their give presentations and educate student doctors, nurses and clinical specialists, from undergraduate to postgraduate level, on the signs and symptoms of the disease and the experiences of women with ovarian cancer. This programme is incredibly important for increasing awareness and understanding of ovarian among healthcare professionals and preventing other women and their families from having to go through prolonged misdiagnosis.

• They represent the interests of women with ovarian cancer to healthcare and policy organisations, to ensure that patient experience informs decision-making.

• They also fund a research fellow at Birmingham University who is working to develop new therapies and improve outcomes for women with advanced ovarian cancer. They are identifying genes that protect ovarian cancers from chemotherapy using state-of-the-art cancer research technologies, to which few research institutions have access.

What makes Ovacome different

Ovacome is the ovarian cancer charity focussed on support. Their services are offered to anyone that has been affected by ovarian cancer in any way, including women that think they might be at risk.

They run support events around the UK, and provide face-to-face support sessions, information and they work to increase awareness of the disease itself as well as it's symptoms. Their free support services are vital for this often overlooked and misdiagnosed disease. As one woman wrote: ‘Ovacome offers a life raft when everything seems overwhelming’.

Other ways to support

Supporters can help us to achieve our goals by:

• Campaigning to increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer, by sharing our B.E.A.T. campaign.

• Fundraising in order to help us to continue providing our vital support services.

• Sharing their story if they have been affected by ovarian cancer, either directly or indirectly.