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Rory Miller is the director in the centre for rural health in the faculty of medicine at the University of Otago. Photo: Supplied <\/p>\nRural communities, including those in Southland,\u00a0are facing barriers when it comes to timely care for ovarian cancer, a New Zealand cancer researcher says.<\/p>\n
The Ovarian Cancer Foundation has been putting the spotlight on ovarian cancer, one of\u00a0 the least survivable cancers, this month.<\/p>\n
At the same time,\u00a0Auckland University research fellow\u00a0in molecular medicine and pathology Alicia Didsbury\u00a0has highlighted the extra barriers people in rural communities have to overcome in seeking diagnosis\u00a0and treatment of ovarian cancer.<\/p>\n
Dr Didsbury has been on the board of trustees at the Ovarian Cancer Foundation of New Zealand for the past five years.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said the additional hurdles faced by rural patients meant they must navigate complex healthcare pathways \u201cwhile also managing financial and logistical burdens, all at an incredibly stressful time\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen\u00a0we couple this with the late diagnosis and\u00a0poor treatment options for ovarian cancer, the impact for our rural women, their families and support networks is significant.\u201d<\/p>\n
The cancer was usually diagnosed through\u00a0a pelvic examination in a primary care setting, then\u00a0a\u00a0CA-125 blood test and an ultrasound.<\/p>\n
In the past year, almost half of the 306 ovarian cancer cases nationally\u00a0were\u00a0diagnosed in emergency departments or in\u00a0unplanned\u00a0hospital admissions.<\/p>\n
In the year following an emergency diagnosis, the mortality rate of the cancer doubled.<\/p>\n
Ovarian cancer was primarily treated through platinum-based chemotherapy and\u00a0surgery.<\/p>\n
Dr Didsbury said rural people\u00a0having to travel long distances to get answers was a challenge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they need additional appointments, scans or referrals, the extra time and travel involved can make the diagnostic process even more difficult,\u201d Dr Didsbury said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said while a lot of ovarian cancer patients responded\u00a0to chemotherapy,\u00a0it could be the end of the road\u00a0if\u00a0that treatment failed.<\/p>\n
\u201cLife-extending treatments are pretty light on the ground for ovarian cancer.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c[If] you can\u2019t remove it all with surgery or you don\u2019t respond to chemotherapy, there\u2019s really no options for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
For South Island patients, surgery would be in Christchurch and often needed multiple rounds of\u00a0chemotherapy, Dr Didsbury said.<\/p>\n
Director of the centre of rural health \u00a0at the faculty of medicine at the University of Otago, Rory Miller,\u00a0\u00a0said\u00a0health of\u00a0rural communities, which most likely included\u00a0Gore and Southland, was on the back foot.<\/p>\n
\u201cThroughout Aotearoa New Zealand, people living in rural communities experience higher rates of adverse health outcomes compared to people who live in cities,\u201d Mr Miller said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the same\u00a0time, people in these\u00a0communities have lower rates of secondary healthcare use.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rory Miller is the director in the centre for rural health in the faculty of medicine at the University of Otago. Photo: Supplied <\/p>\n
Secondary healthcare included\u00a0hospital admission,\u00a0treatments,\u00a0advanced diagnostic tests or computed tomography (CT) scans,\u00a0and outpatient appointments, Mr Miller said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Awareness around ovarian cancer\u00a0was encouraged\u00a0through the Ovarian Cancer Foundation\u2019s annual major fundraising campaign,\u00a0Frocktober, this month.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The campaign encouraged people to wear dresses\u00a0and host events to raise funds for the Ovarian Cancer Foundation.<\/p>\n
Ovarian Cancer Foundation chief executive and lived experience lead\u00a0Liz Pennington\u00a0\u00a0said reaching rural communities was important.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are intentional about recognising this issue and how important it is to support women living and working rurally,\u201d Ms Pennington said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFundraising for research can literally save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Ovarian Cancer Foundation chief executive Liz Pennington says late diagnosis and lack of a screening tool to detect the cancer are big challenges. Photo: Supplied <\/p>\n
The foundation\u00a0partnered with groups, which included\u00a0Soroptimist International of Aotearoa New Zealand (SIANZ), \u00a0which spread\u00a0awareness of the ovarian cancer\u00a0in rural areas.<\/p>\n
Soroptimist\u00a0International of Gore president Anne Gover\u00a0said the organisation supported\u00a0the cause through their fundraising initiative, Heal the Teal.<\/p>\n
\u201cNew Zealand\u00a0Soroptimists are recognised as the main group that\u2019s supporting ovarian cancer research,\u201d Mrs Gover said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/en14ovariancancer2-jpg.webp\")
Soroptimist International of Gore president Anne Gover has been supporting ovarian cancer research with the organisation’s national campaign, Heal the Teal. Photo: Gemma Sinclair <\/p>\n
This month,\u00a0Soroptimist International of Gore had tea towels on display with information regarding their ovarian cancer initiative,\u00a0in Gore businesses Collective Design, The Merino Story, Apt\u00a0Collections and Caroline Eve.<\/p>\n
Since May 2022, Soroptimist International clubs\u00a0around New Zealand had raised more than\u00a0$25,000 toward ovarian cancer awareness, research and support.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Common symptoms of ovarian cancer included bloating, loss of appetite, abdominal, pelvic, or back pain, frequent or urgent urination, changes\u00a0in bowel movements and\u00a0fatigue.<\/p>\n
If symptoms persisted for more than a month,\u00a0medical attention should be sought, Ms Pennington said.<\/p>\n
From 2019 to 2023, there were\u00a0105 ovarian cancer registrations in the Southern district health area.<\/p>\n
In 2023,\u00a0there \u00a0were 8.4 new cancer registrations per 100,000 females\u00a0in the Southern health district,\u00a0Dr Didsbury said.<\/p>\n
The Ovarian Cancer Foundation funded research, offered support services to patients and wh\u0101nau, ran\u00a0awareness campaigns, met with ministers and had released\u00a0their 2025\u00a0State of Ovarian Cancer Report Aotearoa New Zealand, in February.\u00a0<\/p>\n