Unveiling Priority Challenges in the Healthcare System for Ovarian Cancer: Advancement and Plausible Solutions

OBJECTIVES: Ovarian Cancer (OC) is a deadly disease with high mortality-to-incidence ratio (>0.6), diagnosed majorly (~75%) at an advanced stage and only 35% of them survive for ≥5 years. OC has high mortality, low survival, and poor prognosis owing to numerous healthcare system (HCS) challenges. The study's overarching goal is to highlight key challenges encountered by patients and Healthcare professionals (HCPs) across the patient journey and aims to offer potential solutions by drawing parallels between the US, key European countries and Canada.

METHODS: This study is a judicious mix of integrative desk research and inputs from country access experts on the challenges across patient journey, country-specific priorities, and the potential solutions.

RESULTS: Time from OC symptoms to clinical diagnosis is similar in the US and Canada but varies widely in major European countries. More than half of women in the US, Canada, Germany, and Italy know very little or nothing about OC. Gynecologists, instead of referral to gynecologic oncologist, generally perform surgeries leading to poor outcomes. Other key challenges include low prior genetic testing for BRCA1/2 mutations, lack of National screening programs in general population, and insufficient reimbursement for targeted therapies and biomarker testing. Treatment challenges faced by oncologists and limited access to newer treatment options add to the list. Plausible solutions could be a multichannel approach involving Patient Association Groups as valuable disease awareness partners, industry partnership with research centers to support development of diagnostics and effective OC tumor markers.

CONCLUSIONS: The study identified accessibility challenges in OC across patient journey in select countries and prioritization of the challenges varied by country. Country-specific priorities and solutions are defined to improve OC patient journey in the healthcare system.