Royal Preston Hospital first in UK to fast-track ovarian cancer patients

Consultant sonographers Kate Greenwood (left) and Tracy Butcher (right). Pic: Rosemere

Patients with suspected ovarian cancer will be fast-tracked thanks to new diagnostic equipment funded by Rosemere Cancer Foundation.

Following the arrival of a new state-of-the-art ultrasound machine with specialist imaging software, patients at Royal Preston Hospital will see diagnosis and treatment sped up.

It was bought for the ultrasound department at the hospital’s Sharoe Green Unit.

The charity has spent £92,976 on the new equipment and software which only launched last year.

This makes Royal Preston Hospital one of the first hospitals in the UK to have it.

The kit has been shown to have a far superior rate of ovarian cancer detection and can not only discriminate between benign and malignant masses, but it can do so at the earliest stages of the tumour’s development.

It can also calculate the malignancy risk of any tumour detected so patients can be fast-tracked for further investigation to speed up their diagnosis and treatment.

Tracy Butcher, and Kate Greenwood, consultant sonographers applied to Rosemere Cancer Foundation for the funding.

Tracy explained: “With the new equipment, we are able to implement a new innovative pathway, the aim of which is to ensure cancers are diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days.

“The sensitivity of the equipment is such that in many cases, the exclusion of cancer is immediate without the need to refer patients on for further expensive and invasive tests.”

Kate added: “Further tests can include biopsies, surgery to remove lesions and screening such as MRI scans. The wait for these and the anxiety over them invariably causes patients extreme stress when in the majority of cases, the patient will not have cancer.”

“For patients needing further investigation, it means resources can be concentrated on them, speeding up the processes leading to a diagnosis and enabling them to receive treatment sooner to give them the best possible outcome.”

There are currently approximately 7,500 new cases of ovarian cancer in the UK per year.

Symptoms of ovarian cancer can include pelvic area pain or tenderness, a swollen tummy or bloating, no appetite or feeling full quickly after eating, weight loss without trying to lose weight and needing to wee more often or having to go more urgently.

Dan Hill, chief officer of Rosemere Cancer Foundation and head of charities for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which manages the Royal Preston Hospital, said: “The arrival of the new ultrasound device and software is great news. Rosemere Cancer Foundation is delighted women in our area are among the first in the UK to be able to benefit from its enhanced capabilities in the detection of ovarian cancer.”

“Ovarian cancer is a quick-growing cancer that can progress rapidly so speeding up its diagnosis when it is more treatable is vitally important.”

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