Improving Outcomes for Ovarian Cancer Patients (IMPRESS) Resources

Project Overview:

The IMPRESS (IMproving outcomes for ovarian cancer Patients by Refining Evidenced based tools that drive Surgical Standardisation) project, led by the University of Manchester and Professor Richard Edmondson, aims to address the significant variation in treatment outcomes for women with ovarian cancer across the UK. By leveraging machine learning and data-driven approaches, the project aims to develop personalised decision support tools and enable shared decision-making between patients and clinicians.

The project's goals include demonstrating the effectiveness of machine learning algorithms in identifying patients who may not be receiving optimal care, developing tools for personalised outcome predictions, expanding a comprehensive database across seven UK centres, improving understanding of decision-making in multidisciplinary teams, and designing a tool that facilitates shared decision-making based on personalised prediction of treatment outcomes.

The project faced challenges related to ethical approvals, data collection, and resource requirements. However, it successfully collected data from over 1,100 patients, revealing variations in treatment patterns and survival rates across centres. The project also conducted additional studies, including a Delphi questionnaire to gather patient and clinician input and an observational study on decision-making in multidisciplinary teams.

The findings highlighted the need for improved access to personalised evidence and informed decision-making tools. The project has generated significant data, which is being disseminated through publications and presentations, and has formed a unique data resource that will continue to benefit patients beyond the project's completion.

Future funding plans involve developing a grant application to further advance the predictive tool and assess its usability in clinical practice. The work will be divided into several work packages, including investigating shared decision-making, adding a decision support tool, expanding the database, addressing intellectual property and commercialisation, and analysing cost implications and training needs.

In conclusion, the IMPRESS project has made significant progress in improving outcomes for women with ovarian cancer through the development of personalised decision support tools and enhanced understanding of decision-making processes. Future funding aims to build upon these achievements, optimise resources, and further empower patients and clinicians in treatment decision-making.