On October 11, 2026, a national campaign titled Over It was launched by the collaboration between Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) and News Corp Australia. The campaign is to urge the Australian Government to increase investment in ovarian cancer research and address the disease's persistent survival gap.
The campaign seeks a total of A$84 million, that is A$21 million annually for each of the next four years, followed by sustained research investment until the ovarian cancer survival rates surpass 90%.
The campaign also uncovered research perspectives and personal stories led by The Sunday Telegraph and News Corp newspapers across Australia in order to highlight why ovarian cancer needs greater national attention.
OCRF defined ovarian cancer as Australia's most lethal women's cancer in its LinkedIn announcements, highlighting its five-year survival rate of 49%, compared with breast cancer, prostate cancer and melanoma, which reported above 90%. The figure for the ovarian cancer community represents the experiences of patients and families facing diagnosis, treatment and uncertainty. Therefore, the campaign aims to connect those experiences with a specific request for government action supporting sustained funding to propel research and improve survival.
Additionally, the CEO of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, Robin Penty, stated that "Every day, five Australian women are told the words that no one wants to hear, 'you have ovarian cancer'. We are over ovarian cancer being overlooked and inadequately funded," which described the situation's urgency.
Based on her statement, three or four of the five Australian women diagnosed with ovarian cancer each day, which indicates they already have advanced disease, whereas only two or three of them are anticipated to be alive five years later.
She also highlighted that many women the foundation speaks with had no idea or very little information about ovarian cancer before their diagnosis. Whereas other patients asked to emphasise the potential for education and awareness, as well as sustained investment in medical research to change these outcomes.
She also expressed her gratitude to News Corp to help develop the campaign and attract national attention to ovarian cancer. Thus, her statement revolves around two concerns driving Over It, that is the burden of advanced disease, and other is the limited awareness described by the patient before their diagnosis.
The A$84 million funding will be utilized to support prevention, early detection, treatment and public education. It will also be utilized to develop targeted therapies, establish adaptive Australian clinical trials, develop artificial intelligence and advanced diagnostics, investigate ovarian cancer biology through biomarkers, and expand tumour profiling.
Furthermore, they will also focus on understanding immune responses, improving education about symptoms, risk, and opportunities for risk reduction, as well as studying at-risk and priority populations.
Thus, the proposal addresses several points from understanding how disease develops to identifying treatments that could improve outcomes after diagnosis, along the ovarian cancer pathway.
The global research roadmap published in Nature Reviews Cancer, titled Rethinking Ovarian Cancer III: The Past Decade and Future Directions, is connected to the campaign page.
As per the OCRF, this roadmap draws on contributions from 38 international researchers and patient perspectives, reporting five high-grade serious ovarian cancer priorities,
Thus, these priorities provide a broader scientific context to support the campaign's funding request and utilize research investment for unresolved questions in ovarian cancer care.
The collaboration between OCRF and News Corp worked together to create and develop the campaign, offering data and information and connecting the media organisation with researchers and ovarian cancer community members.
This collaboration offers a human perspective and supports the funding proposal. The participation of researchers also explains the questions that require investment, and the community members show how the disease affects everyday life.
Since 2000, more than A$37 million has been raised by OCRF for ovarian cancer research. However, it reports that charitable fundraising alone is unable to provide the scale of investment essential to close the survival gap.
Thus, the Over It campaign is an opportunity to introduce a four-year funding request offering an immediate proposal, whereas longer-term survival ambition calls for continuity beyond a single funding cycle.
The growing incidence of ovarian cancer globally is increasing the demand for their early diagnosis and effective treatment options. The lack of government support and limited investments are reducing its development and accessibility. This is leading to a rise in campaigns to increase ovarian cancer awareness, attract government support, and drive sustained investments until its survival rates cross 90%.
Link to this news: OCRF and News Corp Australia Launch "Over It" Campaign to Close the Ovarian Cancer Survival Gap - OncoDaily
