An innovative set of guidelines is being sent to every GP in Cork this November to assist in the timely diagnosis of ovarian cancer in women. At its 10th Annniversary Lunch in Cork, the Emer Casey Foundation has welcomed the new GP Guidelines as a valuable tool in the treatment of symptomatic and at-risk women.
The new guidelines have been issued by the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) and the HSE and they seek to bring GP’s through a recommended pathway of care for symptomatic women. GP’s are a critical element in the care of women with ovarian cancer and the guidelines aim to help them give the appropriate weight to factors such as blood test results, family history, symptoms, age and lifestyle and to refer women for ultra-sound imaging in a timely fashion.
Anne Herlihy
To mark its ten year, the Foundation has held an Anniversary Lunch at the Clarion Hotel, Cork which also raised funds for the Gynae-oncology Department in Cork University Hospital. The Anniversary Lunch heard an uplifting message from Anne Herlihy, an ovarian cancer patient from Charleville who is defying the odds, having been diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer in September 2014. At the time, she was advised that she would live for only a few months. Anne has generously given much of this time to raising awareness of the disease. She readily admits to not having heard of ovarian cancer before her diagnosis.
The Emer Casey Foundation is working to change this. “Progress is really beginning to be made in the whole area of ovarian cancer”, says Emer’s sister, Juliette Casey, “and we are renewing our efforts at this time of our tenth anniversary. In the past year alone, the Foundation has funded two new ultra-sound scanners in St. James’ Hospital, Dublin and has supported the development of new GP guidelines for the referral of symptomatic women by The National Cancer Control Programme.”
Dr. John Coulter
Speaking to the capacity crowd in the Anniversary Lunch, Dr. John Coulter, one of Cork’s leading Gynaecological Oncologists, said, “I welcome the roll out of the GP referral guidelines in Cork for women suspected to be at risk of the diagnosis of ovarian cancer. These guidelines will hopefully help in earlier diagnosis of this devastating disease. I commend the Emer Casey Foundation, which lobbied for the roll out of these HSE guidelines.”
More on our Anniversary Lunch here and photos here
