A drug which can treat ovarian cancer has been approved for use on newly diagnosed patients in England.
The pill, Olaparib, has previously been used for patients with advanced stages of the gynaecological cancer who also hold the BRCA genes - which increases the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer - but NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) has now approved its administration for patients in the early stages of the disease.
If taken by women who have just received their diagnosis, it could even cure the cancer, experts say.
Meindert Boysen, director of the NICE centre for Health Technology Evaluation, explained: 'Olaparib is already used for ovarian cancer but is expected to have the greatest benefit when used early, and is considered to have the potential to cure the disease in some people if given before the first recurrence.'
The drug works by preventing the PARP protein in cancer cells from repairing themselves which will then cause the cancer cells to die.
It is currently taken by patients twice a day as a maintenance therapy to keep the cancer from returning after the primary treatment.
Annwen Jones, the chief executive of the Target Ovarian Cancer charity, said that the drug should diversify women's treatment options.
'For the first time, women with a BRCA mutation will be able to access this game-changing new generation of ovarian cancer drugs from their first round of treatment. For many women, this represents a long overdue improvement and we look forward to a future where all women diagnosed with ovarian cancer, regardless of BRCA status, have multiple treatment options.'
The drug will be available for women in England, though the charity say they are awaiting announcements about Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland this year.
NICE stressed that Olaparib is still being clinically tested. So far, it's estimated that the drug delays the disease's progression by around three years but it's not known if people taking the tablet live longer because of it as they haven't been followed up for long enough yet.
Ovarian cancer is one of the most common types to affects women, with 7,470 women diagnosed in the UK between 2013-2016 and 4,227 women dying from the disease in 2016 alone.
The survival rate, though having hugely increased in the past four decades, is 35% mainly because it is often diagnosed at a late stage, which currently means few treatment options are available.
Though it mainly affects women over 50, it can affect younger women and the survival rates are highest for those under 40.
Symptoms include feeling constantly bloated, having a swollen stomach, discomfort in the tummy or pelvic area, feeling full quickly when eating and needing to urinate more often than normal. You should see your GP if you have been feeling particularly bloated, have other symptoms and particularly if you have a family history of the disease.
For more information, visit Target Ovarian Cancer.
Olivia Blair is Entertainment Editor (Luxury) at Hearst UK, working across ELLE, Esquire and Harper's Bazaar. Olivia covers all things entertainment and has interviewed the likes of Margot Robbie, Emma Stone, Michaela Coel and Ryan Gosling over the years.
