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Ovarian Cancer Australia

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About Us

Ovarian Cancer Australia is the national charity representing women living with Australia’s deadliest female cancer. Every day, we provide essential care and support to women living with ovarian cancer and represent them by leading change through advocacy to government and advisory bodies to ensure increased, targeted funding and access to optimal care. Ovarian Cancer Australia is the only charity providing specialist holistic and personal care to women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

With a 5-year survival rate of just 49%, it’s estimated that over the next 5 years, over 9,000 Australian women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and sadly, too many of these lives will be lost.

The levels of psychological distress experienced by women with ovarian cancer are incredibly high, with women forced to deal with:
• the severity of their surgery and other treatments that can result in surgical menopause and loss of fertility
• how to tell their children about the impact of the disease will have on their family
• coping with changes in their body that impact on their sexual functioning and relationship with their partner
• the very real fear they experience when their cancer comes back, which unfortunately is a reality for the majority of women diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer

It’s no wonder that almost half of the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer experience clinical levels of anxiety and depression.

With your help, we can provide much-needed free, regular, and timely access to specialist ovarian cancer nurses and evidence-based support programs for more women living with ovarian cancer.

This year, your fundraising from Dry July will directly support our specialist Helpline nurses and our Psychosocial Support Team, supporting women to access a suite of free specialist clinics and evidence-based programs targeting exercise & nutrition, sexuality, grief and bereavement, fear of cancer recurrence, and sleep and fatigue.

By raising funds and going dry this July, you can ensure that women living with ovarian cancer can access the specialist support they need and deserve.

Latest Updates


The funding from Dry July this year will go towards expanding OCA's support services in allied health, helping people like Susan

Susan, 68, enjoyed travelling to destinations steeped in vibrant colours and cultures. With the trip of a lifetime, Susan spent Christmas of 2018 in Sri Lanka with her beloved husband, Gerhard.

After returning to Queensland in January 2019, Susan started experiencing chronic diarrhoea and a severe cough that she could not shake. The ex-public service union delegate dismissed her initial concerns as just having too much rich food. The cough became so severe that she experienced a bowel prolapse. Susan had been on several courses of antibiotics, but nothing was helping. After five months of specialist appointments, she finally went into surgery to repair the prolapsed bowel, only for the surgeon to discover something more sinister.

When Susan woke up from surgery, the doctor told her they could not operate because they discovered she had stage four ovarian cancer with tumours on her ovaries, lymph nodes, and the lining of her lungs. With a rush to have chemotherapy, it was not until another five months that Susan had surgical debulking to remove cancer and finally treat the bowel prolapse.

Other than the diarrhoea, Susan did not experience any other symptoms. After the initial surgery, she never thought she would wake to the news that she had ovarian cancer.

Knowing the poor outcomes of ovarian cancer can result in women's mental health concerns, including anxiety and depression. Susan now waits anxiously for each blood test and hopes her CA 125 markers remain low.

In the meantime, Susan has been able to seek help for her anxiety through Ovarian Cancer Australia's Support team. "Diane Kenneally from Ovarian Cancer Australia is absolutely amazing. She has been a calming voice, and nothing is too much for her.

"I was so scared and devastated with the diagnosis that it took me months before I could even say out loud that I had cancer. I knew if I said it, then I'd have to believe it," said Susan.

The funds raised during Dry July will help Susan and other women with ovarian cancer, including their families. The wraparound support provides assistance from diagnosis through to mental health and well-being. This support includes a counsellor and social worker, with expansion into three additional support roles: a psychologist, genetic counsellor, and an allied health assistant.

The funding from Dry July will go directly to expand our support services in allied health. Along with our counsellor and social worker, we will also add three new roles in this area, including a psychologist, genetic counsellor and an allied health assistant. These five roles combined will offer women and their families a comprehensive and holistic approach. This will allow OCA to provide support not only on the disease and on treatment but also support women and their families on their mental and social well-being. 

Fundraising for OCA will help people like Josie access support when they need it most

Josie Davoren, 51, initially thought the early signs of her ovarian cancer was menopause. The mother of two increased her exercise regime and reduced her calorie intake but still could not reduce the bloating. Josie then put the bloating down to irritable bowel syndrome. Soon after, she discovered a hard large mass on the right side of her pelvic area.

After having scans followed by investigative surgery, surgeons found she had stage two ovarian cancer and an ovary the size of a rockmelon. In July 2018, Josie had surgery to remove the tumours; this included a full hysterectomy (removal of her ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus) and also her appendix.

Having six rounds of chemotherapy, Josie felt confident she was over the worst. Follow up scans were clear for some time. However, 15 months after her first surgery, doctors discovered an anomaly. Cancer had spread to her bowel and diaphragm. 

During Josie’s ordeal, she has turned to not only her physical support around treatment, but she has also reached out to Ovarian Cancer Australia for her emotional well-being. Josie has found great benefit in speaking to OCA’s psychologist and social worker.

“Seeking emotional support in the public health system can often feel rushed, due to high demands, but I feel I can take my time when I call OCA and have comfort in knowing that I’m not on a timer. It’s great to speak to someone who is readily available and can provide personal support" 

Read Josie's full story here: https://www.dryjuly.com/2021/josies-story 

Ovarian Cancer Australia's Younger Women's Network supported thanks to Dry July fundraising

Ovarian Cancer Australia's Younger Women's Network is one of the many programs that have been made possible thanks to Dry July fundraising.

By cultivating connections through shared experiences, the program aims to ease feelings of isolation and disconnection amongst young women affected by ovarian cancer.

The online facilitated support and Information group is delivered monthly by health professionals like Fiona Mitchell (pictured), for 1.5 hours, and typically has 5-8 women in each session. 💙

If you or someone you know is interested in the Younger Women's Network, you can find more information here: www.ovariancancer.net.au/page/127/younger-women

OCA develop fantastic initiatives for women affected by ovarian cancer thanks to Dry July fundraising

Thanks to the incredible fundraising of Dry July participants, Ovarian Cancer Australia has raised an astounding $445,325!

Despite the immense challenges of 2020, it has been an incredible year for Dry July fundraising – the efforts of participants such as you will enable Ovarian Cancer Australia to directly support women with ovarian cancer and their families with these initiatives:

The Younger Women’s Network: providing support and information sessions for younger women who can connect with others in a similar situation, reducing feelings of isolation when they need it most.

Support for carers: a new project that will assist carers – particularly male carers – to provide the best support for their loved ones.

Social worker: They are adding a social worker to the mix of their Support Team, providing practical assistance for women and their families.

Ovarian cancer nurses: Additional specialised nurses are particularly vital right now due to the increase in the number of calls to their Helpline, and an increase in the intensity of distress many women are experiencing due to the impact of COVID.

2019 Dry July funds help OCA create The Ovarian Cancer Younger Women’s Network!

The funds raised in 2019 assisted in the Ovarian Cancer Support Team to set develop and deliver The Ovarian Cancer Younger Women’s Network.

The program is online facilitated support and information sessions, delivered monthly for 1.5 hours with between 3 and 12 women participating in each session with a health professional facilitator.

The topics covered each month were specifically tailored for this age group and included 'Talking to Kids about Cancer', 'Managing Menopause Symptoms', 'Coping Strategies and Managing Stress', 'Sexuality, Body Image and Relationships', 'Making Meaning after a Cancer Diagnosis' and 'Hope and Uncertainty.'

The program was overwhelmingly positive and was a significant benefit for all women who chose to take part.

The women strongly felt that the program increased their sense of connection to others with the disease and decreased the sense of isolation which can arise as a young woman living with ovarian cancer.

With these encouraging results Ovarian Cancer Australia are committed to continuing the program into 2020 and beyond.

Read what our women say about the sessions:

“It was my first time attending. I thought it was fabulous, thank you”

“Loved open discussion after presentation”

“Really took a lot away from this session super helpful advice and Sam was extremely knowledgeable and it was easy to understand the information she was giving us. Thanks so much for providing us with this support group, it has been very beneficial already!”

“I would highly recommend this group to any younger women with OC not so much to friends or colleagues”

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