(Vienna, 05 September 2022) Breast, ovarian and uterine cancers account for about 40% of cancer diagnoses in women every year. A series of webinars run by MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna, starting on the 26th of September 2022, will focus on prevention, early detection and treatment of these forms of cancer and other questions that women have about a cancer diagnosis. The "Cancer in Women Forum" was initiated by Matthias Preusser and Rupert Bartsch from the Division of Oncology within the Department of Medicine I and is the continuation of last year's successful "Breast Cancer Forum". The free webinar series is designed to raise awareness about the early detection and/or prevention of specifically female cancers. It is being funded by the women's section of the Ministry for Women, Family, Integration and Media headed by Federal Minister Susanne Raab, who will attend the launch event.
The theme of the launch event, which will start at 5 p.m. on the 26th of September and will include contributions from Women's Minister Susanne Raab, cancer specialists and cancer patients, will be developments in cancer screening and advances in modern cancer treatment. Like all other webinars of the "Cancer in Women Forum", the event can be watched live on the internet or viewed online for up to one year afterwards. "This will ensure that as many interested parties as possible can benefit from the knowledge of the participating cancer experts," says initiator Matthias Preusser, Head of the Division of Oncology within the Department of Medicine I of MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna, outlining one of the aims of the webinar series. The focus is not only on information about established, novel and future treatment methods for breast, ovarian and uterine cancer, but also on prevention and screening strategies: "Breast cancer screening, PAP smear tests and HPV vaccination are valuable tools in this context, and our forum will also provide information about them," emphasises Matthias Preusser.
Women's Minister, Susanne Raab, says: "Early diagnosis of cancer and low-threshold education about the disease increase the chances of recovery for affected women. Particularly in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we want to raise awareness of this. This year, the scope of MedUni Vienna's "Cancer in Women Forum" has been expanded to include presentations on other specifically female cancers, such as cervical cancer, ovarian cancer and uterine cancer. The forum offers concise and reliable information from experts for affected women and their families, as well as those women who are at higher risk, thereby making an important contribution to education on the subject."
"Cancer and oncology are important research topics at MedUni Vienna, with numerous highly regarded scientific studies being conducted every year. We hold an annual Cancer Research Run as a charity event to raise additional funds for cancer research with the public's help. MedUni Vienna is committed to making cutting-edge medical expertise accessible to the general public and the "Cancer in Women Forum" is part of this endeavour," emphasises Michaela Fritz, Vice Rector for Research and Innovation at the Medical University of Vienna.
"The continuous development of treatment and care for cancer patients is one of University Hospital Vienna's main goals. With this in mind, we are very much focussed on implementing advances in precision medicine and related innovations. Providing patients with the best possible care also includes informing them about treatment options and prevention strategies," points out Herwig Wetzlinger, Director of University Hospital Vienna.
Topics, dates and registration
The webinar series starts on the 26th of September 2022 at 5 p.m. and comprises a total of 10 modules providing information about specifically female cancers, namely breast, ovarian and uterine cancer, as well as addressing important questions about a cancer diagnosis. The last webinar in the series is currently scheduled for the 6th of December 2023. Online participation is free of charge after registration, and participants will have the opportunity to ask questions during all the webinars.
All information at: www.meduniwien.ac.at/forum-krebs
About cancer in women
According to current data, more than 19,000 women in Austria received a cancer diagnosis in 2019. In this particular year, the majority of them (5,748 = 30%) had breast cancer, while nearly 10% were diagnosed with ovarian, cervical or uterine cancer (source: Statistics Austria 2020). Even though survival rates have improved thanks to new treatments and diagnostic techniques, breast cancer is still the most common cause of cancer-related death in women. Likewise, because it is usually only discovered at an advanced stage and is an aggressive form of cancer, even comparatively rare ovarian cancer ends fatally in many cases. Due to screening initiatives, the number of women who die from cervical cancer has fallen significantly since the 1980s, while uterine cancer is still often only diagnosed at a late stage.