Battle Against Ovarian Cancer 2012

Posted 12 years ago

The preparations for the Battle Against Ovarian Cancer are again in full swing (www.battleagainstovariancancer.org). Please visit the site and register a team of five (one for each type of gynaecological cancer) or consider a sponsorship package.

Gynaecological cancer research receives very limited funds from Australia’s major research funding body, the NHMRC. At the Queensland Centre for Gynaecological Cancer we have been unlucky with our funding applications for the last 5 years. This is despite the fact that gynaecological cancers increase steadily in numbers and we drive the surgical research agenda in regards to gynaecological cancer not only in Queensland but also in this country.

NHMRC receives a large number of funding requests and the community is made to believe that only the best applications get funded. I would like to demystify this a little by providing my understanding of how the NHMRC selection process for funding really works.

First, there are a large number of topics that NHMRC has to cover. Mental health, degenerative musculoskeletal diseases, cardiovascular diseases, etc.; without doubt they are all important health issues. Cancer is only one within a large number of those research "priorities" and gynaecological cancer certainly does not rank as the number 1 within the cancer group. Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all gynaecological cancers but ranks in incidence only at ninth place. Notoriously, common diseases get ample of funding (e.g., breast cancer) – uncommon diseases are often underfunded.

A number of panels of researchers assess all grants. Each panel gets to review hundreds of grant applications. While all panel members are supposed to read and study all grant applications, this is virtually impossible. Hence, 2 individuals are selected form each panel to read and study grant applications and form an opinion. Hence, it is up to those 2 individuals whether they give a grant merit or they dislike it. The one or two people who review a grant application may be experts in their fields but may not be experts in our field of research. It is likely that another cancer specialist who may not be familiar with gynaecological cancers or who may not have operated on a single patient in his/her entire career will review our surgical grant.  

That may be one of the reasons why the reviews and comments on grant applications that people like myself submit make sense. Sometimes we wonder if the reviewer actually understood the research question. Sometimes reviewers or panel members (who may not be experts in our field) simply don’t agree that the research we propose addresses an important (relevant) question (how we treat or diagnose patients) or more often than not argue that the research we propose is not needed. We received such a frustrating assessment recently.

There is little continuity of grants that get assessed. Some researchers received a high (but not high enough) score last year, amended their grant application based on the panel’s recommendation but received a lower score this year. In the U.S. a grant will get reviewed, and if of potential value, the panel will work with the applicant (sometimes over a period of several years) to improve the grant and finally fund it when it is in top shape.

Our grant application processes are clean and politically correct but currently don’t fund our urgently needed research into gynaecological cancer.

In order to avoid wasting human life for much longer we need to take gynaecological cancer research in our own hands.
The 2012 Battle Against Ovarian Cancer held at the beginning of this year was a monumental success. All gynaecological oncologists from Queensland put teams in to play beach volleyball, as did nursing staff and other health professionals. We had a total of 40 teams of colleagues, friends, and corporate citizens registered and more than 200 people participated on the day. Media support and coverage leading up to the event was outstanding. More than  $100,000 was raised. In research terms, this is not a lot of money but it helped to at least partly support three studies on ovarian cancer and another study on endometrial cancer (that would otherwise be impossible to do).

On the 3rd February 2013, the second Battle Against Ovarian Cancer event will kick off. We will have the Mission Queensland Firebirds, the Former Origin Greats, Channel Nine Network, B105, Natalie Cook, and Left Right and Centre (they help us with our fantastic website) all there at the Sandstorm Beach Club on the 3rd February 2013. I am very grateful to these iconic organisations for their willingness to help.

My vision for Queensland is to create sustainable research into gynaecological cancer. We will raise funds in Queensland, conduct research studies and roll them out nation-wide. What would a country be like that didn’t have research into gynaecological cancer? We would drop off and fall behind. We’d be using old information to make old and inaccurate treatment decisions. We’d be using obsolete equipment. Research = investment into humanity.

Gynaecological Cancer hits her within a second. Her life and the lives of those around her are irrevocably altered instantly. This is a situation where she, who normally helps others, is unable to help herself.

The Battle Against Ovarian Cancer is a real opportunity. Please take part.