Latest news with #ovariancancer
SBS Australia
4 days ago
- Health
- SBS Australia
The final farewell isn't easy. This growing service helped Vibha and thousands like her
In a cosy apartment in Sydney's west, Vibha Gulati is looking at photos of her late mother, Bhusan. "She was an amazing person. She was very compassionate, very loving, very hospitable to people who came to the house." A migrant from India, Bhusan Gulati was 87 when she was diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. It was a terrible shock for Vibha who had lived with her mother for 35 years. "The doctors said she had ovarian cancer and that she had less about six months to live. It was shocking. It was really shocking. I was losing my best friend. We loved each other very much." After the diagnosis, Bhusan Gulati refused medical treatment and chose voluntary assisted dying at home in the care of her daughters, Prabha and Vibha. "It was important for her. She advocated for voluntary assisted dying. She wanted control over her death and the whole process of her illness. She did not want any chemo or radiation. Surgery was posed as an option, but that was also refused. She could manage herself quite well. She was just ill during the last week, she was going out to cafes restaurants till the week she passed away." Vibha Gulati says a mix of Buddhist, Hindu and spiritual beliefs helped to farewell her mother in December last year. "We had chanting here while she was passing away. So we had Indian chants, which are Indian mantras infused with spiritual energy. It creates a very calming effect on the mind and on the emotions as well." While faith has supported Vibha Gulati through her loss, the grief remains raw and is, at times, hard to bear. "My spiritual belief gives me strength, trust that I will meet her again and that she has not gone forever. I can feel her presence around me sometimes. So it's really, really lovely. But that loss is still there and I think it takes a lot of time to get used to." It's one reason she turned to an online support platform called the Violet Initiative, a national not-for-profit organisation that helps people navigate the last chapters of life. "I found out about Violet after she passed away and I had some counselling sessions online. The loss was great. It comes in waves so often that you think you're all right and then suddenly you'll be crying. I felt really understood by them. I felt they held the space very well to what I was going through. They didn't negate any feeling that I had." Vibha Gulati is not alone. In recent years more than 30,000 people have accessed the service. It offers guides and digital support, as CEO Melissa Reader explains. "We are really trying to help families and communities be more prepared around the last stages of a person's life. People come to us saying, 'I just don't know where to start. My mum is in her late eighties, dad might've died a couple of years ago. I'm usually the eldest daughter stepping into that caregiving role. I'm managing my own family, work, life, career and I'm completely overwhelmed'." As Australia's population ages services like Violet become more crucial. Caring for dying people in hospital already costs around $4 billion annually, according to Violet research. And Ms Reader says that figure will rise. "We have about 12,000 people turning 85 each year today. In five years there'll be a fivefold increase that'll be 60,000 people reaching that age each year. And our health and age care systems are at capacity today." More than 180,000 people die in Australia each year. Yet Ms Reader says few have prepared a will or left clear instructions about their end-of-life choices. "Up to 90 per cent of us want to be cared for at home for as long as possible with our family and our friends and everything that's familiar to us and the right services and supports. But that is not what's playing out today. So, we see people having at least four hospital admissions through the last 12 months, about 33 or 34 days, and we see one in two Australians dying in hospital. That is our least preferred place to die." Ms Reader knows first-hand about facing the loss of a loved one. She has raised three children since her husband died of cancer. He was just 39 years old. She hopes that Violet can provide the practical and personal guidance that she badly needed. "We were completely unprepared for Mauro's death. He died in intensive care. We were totally unprepared for it and it was a very clinical and impersonal experience and quite frightening for all of us, including him. This is not an easy stage of life. It's very complex, it's very emotional and there's a lot of uncertainty." Mitch Gibson is among Violet's 50 volunteer guides and as someone who has lived through grief and loss, she is proud to provide personal care and support for those struggling. "I was trying to run my own small business, a yoga studio, and then all of a sudden when my dad had just been diagnosed with dementia my life partner, Mark was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. And to say that my world flipped upside down is an understatement." That was 11 years ago and the eventual death of her partner led to a life-changing decision. "I was only 56 years old. And I decided I wanted to work as a grief and bereavement counsellor and care for people who were carers because I'd had lived experience. It was ideal. These are the conversations I want to be having. This is the help I want to be offering. I didn't ask for this to happen to me, but it did. And so I am now in that world as someone who has cared, so why not use that to help someone?" The Violet platform also has an AI-enabled digital companion which offers personalised support in multiple languages. Violet's Chief Product and Technology Officer Yaniv Bernstein explains: "What we have is a really clever, voice-based artificial intelligence agent that talks to people in the manner of a normal conversation. And this is based on thousands of hours of data that we have of experience that we have through our guided support program. People can have this conversation at any time. And what they then get is a real assessment of where they're at, what stage they're in, what their needs are." And those needs are growing. Violet Chair Kate Carnell says action is urgently needed. "We are sleepwalking into the century's biggest economic and social crisis right at the moment. What I think we need to focus on is ensuring that people in the final stage of life get the care and attention and the dignity that they want." As life expectancy continues to rise and the population ages, Ms Carnell says Initiatives like Violet are crucial. "Digital technology is fundamental to having an actual solution to this problem. One-on-one approaches are important, there's no doubt and Violet provides those, but giving people access to information and feedback 24-7 by trusted sources using digital technology and AI will allow all Australians affordable access to the information that they need. And that's what Violet's focusing on." Vibha Gulati and her mother Bhusan are among the few to plan their final farewell. Caring for her mother at home fulfilled her dying wish, she says. "She was very pleased with things, and gave her a sense of peace through the whole process. And also it gave her a sense of control of her own life, which is what she advocated for her whole life and it's how she lived and that's how she passed away." And Vibha Gulati has this advice for others. "Do what you think is best for you and your loved one and listen to your inner self and you'll know what's the best thing to do." Support is available through LifeLine on 13 11 14 or Griefline which provides confidential support on 1300 845 745 and via
Medscape
5 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Expanding Treatment Options for Ovarian Cancer
This transcript has been edited for clarity. My name is Brian Slomovitz. I'm a gynecologic oncologist and I look forward to presenting some of the recent trends in ovarian cancer management, what we're doing to better treat our patients, and some of the latest updates from the ASCO 2025 meeting. Let's talk about surgery. Until now, studies haven't shown a statistical difference between neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking and upfront primary debulking surgery for the management of this disease. At this year's ASCO meeting, the TRUST trial was presented. It looked at furthering the role of upfront surgery vs neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This was a well-balanced study conducted at leading surgical centers throughout Europe and the United States, with overall survival as the primary endpoint. Unfortunately, the trial was negative: There was no improvement in overall survival for patients who underwent primary debulking surgery compared to those who had interval debulking surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. There was a benefit in progression-free survival, but that wasn't the primary endpoint. We're looking forward to future research that may further answer this question, but as of now, primary debulking surgery hasn't demonstrated a survival advantage. We'll have to see how this continues to evolve. Turning to primary systemic therapy, there have been several recent studies looking at the addition of checkpoint inhibitors to standard chemotherapy — with or without bevacizumab and PARP inhibitors — to determine whether this could improve outcomes. One of the key studies presented at this year's meeting was the FIRST trial. It was a well-designed trial, with an appropriate control arm using standard therapies and adding immunotherapy in the experimental arm. This study did show a statistically significant improvement. However, when we talk about clinically meaningful, are we going to put that into our practice? The difference was only 1 month. Although this was statistically significant, it is unclear whether this finding will change clinical practice at this point. In the recurrent setting, a great unmet need is better treatment options for our patients with platinum-resistant disease. One recent advance is mirvetuximab, an antibody-drug conjugate targeting the folate receptor alpha. This therapy demonstrated a positive overall survival benefit, but it applies only to a subset of patients who overexpress this receptor protein. Also at this year's ASCO meeting, results from the ROSELLA trial were presented. All patients received nab-paclitaxel, an active agent for recurrent ovarian cancer, and the experimental arm included the addition of relacorilant, a glucocorticoid receptor. The study showed a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival among patients treated with relacorilant. There was also a clinically meaningful trend toward improved overall survival associated with the addition of relacorilant. Although the data are not yet mature, we may see this combination become increasingly significant over time. The findings were published on the same day in The Lancet . If the sponsors move forward with a regulatory strategy, this could become part of the standard of care — potentially making a real, day-to-day difference for our patients. Another exciting development in the management of recurrent disease is IL-2 gene therapy. At this meeting, Dr Premal Thaker presented results from the OVATION 2 trial, which showed a strong response rate and a promising signal in patients with ovarian cancer. I think the logical next step would be a phase 3 registrational trial to determine whether this IL-2 gene therapy can ultimately be incorporated into the standard of care for our patients. We're making significant strides in the management of ovarian cancer, and I believe ongoing and future studies will continue to improve outcomes and help our patients live longer with a good quality of life.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'West Side Story' Star Ariana DeBose Sends Message After Poet Andrea Gibson Dies at 49
'West Side Story' Star Ariana DeBose Sends Message After Poet Andrea Gibson Dies at 49 originally appeared on Parade. It was announced earlier on Monday morning that poet and activist Andrea Gibson passed away after a four-year battle with terminal ovarian cancer. The death was announced to the public through a collaborative post on Instagram by Gibson's account with their wife, Megan Falley, and their friend, Stef Willen. "Andrea Gibson died in their home surrounded by their wife, Meg, four ex-girlfriends, their mother and father, dozens of friends and their three beloved dogs," an excerpt read. "Andrea would want you to know that they got their wish. In the end, their heart was covered in stretch marks." Tributes were written in the comment section and throughout social media from friends, fans, poets and queer artists. Many said that Gibson's words had changed their lives and helped them learn to love themselves. Plus, people who were battling cancer and other terminal illnesses said Gibson made them less afraid of death by reminding them that we never really leave the ones we love. One of the queer artists who paid tribute to the late poet includes Oscar winner and actress Ariana DeBose. DeBose, known for her role as Anita in West Side Story and a member of the original ensemble cast of the Broadway musical Hamilton, reposted the announcement from Out Magazine's official Instagram to her story and wrote the caption "Rest in power beautiful human." Gibson was best known for their groundbreaking spoken-word poetry, performances and activism. Many of the themes that were explored were gender identity, social justice, mental health and love. They were 49 years old when they passed. 'West Side Story' Star Ariana DeBose Sends Message After Poet Andrea Gibson Dies at 49 first appeared on Parade on Jul 15, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
CBS News
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Poet Laureate of Colorado Andrea Gibson passes away at 49
The award-winning Poet Laureate of Colorado, Andrea Gibson, died Monday morning, according to a Facebook post by their family. Andrea Gibson was a poet, author and ambassador of the arts. Gibson became the state's 10th Poet Laureate in 2023, with six full-length collections of poetry as well as two Independent Publishers Awards. They also won the first Women's World Poetry Slam and were selected as a finalist for three Goodreads Choice Awards. Many of Gibson's works included their treatment journey after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021. Gibson said, "I spent so much time writing about what was wrong with the world, now I write about what I dream the world can be." A post on Gibson's Facebook account Monday read, "Whenever I leave this world, whether it's 60 years from now, I wouldn't want anyone to say I lost some battle. I'll be a winner that day. Andrea Gibson was a winner today. On July 14th, at 4:16 a.m., Andrea Gibson died in their home surrounded by their wife, Meg, four ex-girlfriends, their mother and father, dozens of friends, and their three beloved dogs." In a statement released Monday, Gov. Jared Polis said, "It is with a heavy heart that we mourn the loss of Andrea Gibson, an inspiring poet and Colorado's current Poet Laureate. Renowned for inspiring poetry, advocacy for arts in education and unique ability to connect with the vast and diverse poetry lovers of Colorado, Andrea was truly one of a kind and will be deeply missed by personal friends as well as all who were touched by their poetry. My thoughts go out to Andrea's loved ones during this difficult time."
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Traumatized husband reveals the secret signs of ovarian cancer
A dedicated husband has urged women to be aware of the silent signs of a deadly cancer that kills thousands every year, following his wife's devastating diagnosis. Matthew Cauli, who is now a full-time carer for his wife Kanlaya, wants to help raise better awareness around ovarian cancer in the hope that affected women will get earlier diagnoses. Ovarian cancer is notoriously hard to diagnose because symptoms can easily be mistaken for less serious problems due to hormones fluctuating throughout a woman's menstrual cycle. As a result, only one in five patients are diagnosed in the early stages before the cancer has spread. Catching the disease as early as possible is vital, as it is when treatment is most likely to be successful. In May 2020, his wife Kanlaya suffered two severe strokes which affected the right side of her brain, leaving her paralyzed. Doctors had no choice but to remove part of her skull to reduce the pressure on her brain caused by the blood clot. Looking for answers, doctors finally found a 10cm mass in her abdomen which was confirmed to be clear cell carcinoma - a rare type of ovarian cancer that predominantly affects younger women of Asian descent. While his wife's diagnosis and rapid decline took the family by surprise, Matthew said there were subtle warning signs they should have been aware of including swollen joints; abnormally heavy periods; vaginal bleeding; and extreme fatigue. He said: 'Fatigue - I had to laugh at this one because what young mom isn't tired.' Their son, Ty, was just three-years-old when he saw his mother suffer her first stroke in the midst of the pandemic. But there were other tell-tale signs that something was not quite right, Matthew explained in an Instagram video. 'She had random swollen joints. It was her elbow one time, then her knee. They tested her for Lyme disease, but it was negative.' Kenlaya also experienced menstrual irregularities in the months leading up to her diagnosis, and complained of heavy periods with blood clots. This is another common symptom of the deadly disease with tumors affecting the uterus or ovaries resulting in hormonal imbalances and a heavier flow in some women. 'Ovarian cancer is very hard to detect. You know your body best so talk with your doctor if you think something's going on,' Matthew warned his followers. While any woman can get ovarian cancer, certain factors can increase an individual's risk of developing the disease. These include age - with the risk of ovarian cancer increasing in older women -and a family history of the disease. Endometriosis, a condition that causes uterine tissue to grow outside of the womb, causing painful periods and heavy bleeding, also increases the risk of ovarian cancer fourfold according to some estimates. Finally, being overweight can also make you more likely to get ovarian cancer. Common treatment options include surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible, chemotherapy to shrink the tumors and hormone therapy. Women experiencing symptoms such as bloating, a lack of appetite or feeling full quickly, an urgent need to urinate or needing to do so more often, are advised to see their doctor. Other potential signs of the disease include indigestion, constipation or diarrhoea, back pain, fatigue, unexplained weight loss and bleeding from the vagina after the menopause.
