"Until there's a test awareness is best"

HHMT works in a range of ways to drive improvements in outlook for women with ovarian cancer.

• bring together world leading researchers and clinicians to develop new talent, share information, and forge collaborations. This happens through our biennial forums and publications.

• Under the banner of Ovarian Cancer Action, we campaign to raise awareness of the risk factors and symptoms of ovarian cancer amongst the general public and to bring the disease onto the national agenda, raise funds for a dedicated ovarian cancer research unit, and provide opportunities for patients and public to learn more about ovarian cancer, and the developments taking place in understanding of the disease, and to have their voice heard.

Raises funds

With the opening of our new dedicated research unit in the Autumn, we now have an urgent focus for our fundraising efforts. We will be looking to raise £1,000.000 each year for the next five years. The unit will focus on:

• improving treatments
• how best to detect ovarian cancer
• which are the most promising treatments
• ways to prevent the disease
• who is most at risk of developing the disease

How you can get involved

We need your help to raise funds and awareness. Your donations are vital to Ovarian cancer action. Increased awareness has meant that people are now choosing to raise sponsorship for us in national events such as The London Marathon, the Great North Run, as well as organising events large and small across the country. Why not join them? We'll support you along the way. Email us for fundraising tips and ideas ( jill@ovarian.org.uk), or click here to find out the different ways to donate.

Ovarian cancer action has teamed up with Justgiving.com so all our runners and event participants can raise money quickly and easily online with their own personalised web pages. Visit www.justgiving.com/oca to find out more.

Do you Love Art?

If collecting contemporary art is your thing, why not come along to a special fundraising evening at Coutts & Co in The Strand, London, on September 28th. Work by Hockney, Damien Hirst, Lichtenstein and others will be up for sale, including special commissions by Peter Blake and Lelia Pissaro. There'll also be a raffle of art postcards by celebrities on the theme 'Love Women', including amongst others, Ruby Wax, Maureen Lipman, Bill Nighy, Sir Alan Sugar and Cherie Blair (pictured right).

Please click here for more details about Love Art or contact clare@ovarian.org.uk.

Working with companies

M&S staff, joined with Schering-Plough Ltd in Welwyn Garden City to make a noise about their support for us

Can you introduce us to prospective corporate partners? We are keen to raise funds and the profile of the disease. For example, Nicky Clarke Electric raised £63,000 through sales of a hair straightener, a staff member from Loans.co.uk donated £1000. We are also working with Schering Plough Ltd, Bodas, Angelyarn.com, Vitaline, HommeBody and others to raise funds and awareness. Often the personal contact can provide the best form of introduction. If you have any ideas, please get in touch with kerry@ovarian.org.uk

Providing opportunities

We are working to develop ways for patients and the public to learn more about ovarian cancer, and the developments taking place in understanding of the disease. This has been happening through public lectures and most recently a patient forum. For further details click here.

We are also committed to finding new ways for women with experience and concerns about ovarian cancer, to have their voices heard at the highest level. We are exploring ways of doing this more formally, but in the meantime, if you want to make your views known to us, email info@hhmt.org.

International forums and publications

Every two years, HHMT brings together world leading clinicians, researchers and selected observers to present and debate cutting edge science. Research presented is selected by the HHMT scientific committee, drawn up from key world figures in ovarian cancer. Travelling fellowships are awarded to junior researchers, and every effort is made to bring new people to this platform of excellence.

"HHMT meetings have provided a wonderful resource for developing long term international collaborations that have facilitated the design and coordination of international studies. Although there are other meetings, we do not have the opportunity to prioritise for the future, which has been a consistent emphasis at the HHMT meetings."
Dr Mike Bookman, Div of Medical Science, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Pennsylvania, USA

Following each presentation of the forum, there is formal and informal discussion, from which a position paper is then edited and published in leading cancer journals, reflecting HHMT's desire to bring the best science to the most people. We are currently awaiting confirmation details of our publication in the journal Cancer Research.

The next conference, celebrating our 20th year, will take place in 2007, at a venue still to be decided.

For more details of our Forums, past and future, click here.