Poole Hospital took part in trials of a new treatment that is offering hope to women with advanced ovarian cancer.

Adding Avastin to standard chemotherapy was shown to halt the progress of the cancer for an average of six months longer than chemo alone. Avastin is available to women in England through applying to the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Dr Richard Osborne, consultant oncologist at Poole’s Dorset Cancer Centre, said: “I am very pleased to have been involved in trialling this innovative treatment at Poole Hospital and am delighted that Avastin is now available to thousands of women who are living with this devastating disease.

“New developments which can make a major impact on patients’ outcomes are very welcome, particularly in a serious illness like ovarian cancer. Halting disease progression for six months is a major step forward in treating this condition.”

Patients with early stage and advanced ovarian cancer were enrolled for the multi-centre study.

“This heralds a new era of hope for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer, who have previously been faced with a devastating diagnosis plus a lack of innovative treatments,” said Louise Bayne, chief executive of Ovarian cancer charity Ovacome.

With 6,500 new cases diagnosed each year, ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in women in the UK.

Ovarian cancer facts

• Number one cause of gynaecological cancer death.

• Second most common gynaecological cancer in the UK after uterine.

• Women are twice as likely to die if diagnosed with ovarian cancer than women diagnosed with breast cancer.

• Incidence in women of 65-plus has gone up by more than half in the last 30 years.

• Three-quarters of cases only diagnosed after the disease has spread, or advanced.

• Eighty-five per cent of cases occur in women aged over 50.

• There are 6,500 new cases and 4,370 deaths from ovarian cancer in the UK each year.

• Ovacome’s helpline is 0207 299 6650.