OPAL Study

About the Opal Study

The Ovarian Cancer Prognosis and Lifestyle (OPAL) study is Australia's first study into lifestyle factors that may improve survival rates and quality of life for women with ovarian cancer.

The OPAL Study recruited 960 women newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer between 2012 and 2015 to see whether lifestyle factors, including physical activity, diet and medication use influence cancer relapse and survival. The study hopes to provide advice for women about lifestyle changes that may help them.

The study was approved by all the relevant Research Ethics Committees and conforms to the requirements of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.

Recruitment for the OPAL Study has closed.

Why study ovarian cancer?

More than 1,800 women are diagnosed with invasive ovarian cancer (or other similar cancers) in Australia every year and sadly, only 4 or 5 in 10 women will still be alive after five years.

Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer often ask what they can do to improve their chances of beating the disease. Unfortunately, at the moment, we cannot answer this question.

This is because women diagnosed can respond very differently to treatment and have very different outcomes. This variation suggests that other factors are also important in determining survival. The OPAL study was set up to find these factors by surveying women from all around Australia who have been newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer and following them up to see what happens to them.

Who is running the OPAL Study Group?

The study was run by scientists at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, together with doctors at many of the large hospitals around Australia.

Chief Investigators

Professor Penelope Webb, QIMR Berghofer, QLD
Professor Anna De Fazio, NSW
Professor Michael Friedlander, NSW
Professor Andreas Obermair, QLD
Professor Peter Grant, VIC
Dr Christina Nagle, QIMR Berghofer, QLD
Dr Vanessa Beesley, QIMR Berghofer, QLD (OPAL-2).

Associate investigators

Professor Georgia Chevenix-Trench, QIMR Berghofer, QLD
Professor David Bowtell (AOCS II)
Associate Professor Penelope Blomfield, TAS
Associate Professor Alison Brand, NSW
Dr Alison Davis, ACT
Professor Yee Leung, WA
Associate Professor James Nicklin, QLD
Professor Michael Quinn, VIC
Ms Karen Livingstone, Consumer
Ms Helen O’Neill, Consumer, ANZGOG
Ms Merran Williams, Consumer, QLD.

Clinical collaborators

Alison BLACK Medical Oncologist, TAS
Alison HADLEY Medical Oncologist, QLD
Amanda GLASGOW Medical Oncologist, NSW
Andrea GARRETT Gynaecological Oncologist, QLD
Archana RAO Gynaecological Oncologist, VIC
Catherine SHANNON Medical Oncologist, QLD
Christopher STEER Medical Oncologist, VIC
David ALLEN Gynaecological Oncologist, VIC
Deborah NEESHAM Gynaecological Oncologist, VIC
Geoffrey OTTON Gynaecological Oncologist, NSW
George AU-YEUNG Medical Oncologist, VIC
Geraldine GOSS Medical Oncologist, VIC
Gerry WAIN Gynaecological Oncologist, NSW
Greg GARD Gynaecological Oncologist, NSW
Greg ROBERTSON Gynaecological Oncologist, NSW
Janine LOMBARD Medical Oncologist, NSW
Jason TAN Gynaecological Oncologist, WA
Jayne McNEILAGE Gynaecological Oncologist, VIC
Jeremy POWER Radiation Oncologist, TAS
Jim COWARD Medical Oncologist, NSW
John MILLER Gynaecological Oncologist, VIC
Jonathan CARTER Gynaecological Oncologist, NSW
Julie LAMONT Gynaecological Oncologist, VIC
King Man WONG Gynaecological Oncologist, NSW
Kym REID Gynaecological Oncologist, VIC
Lewis PERRIN Gynaecological Oncologist, QLD
Linda MILISHKIN Medical Oncologist, VIC
Marcelo NASCIMENTO Gynaecological Oncologist, QLD
Martin BUCK Medical Oncologist, WA
Michael BUNTING Gynaecological Oncologist, TAS
Michelle HARRISON Medical Oncologist, NSW
Navan CHETTY Gynaecological Oncologist, QLD
Neville HACKER Gynaecological Oncologist, NSW
Orla McNALLY Gynaecological Oncologist, VIC
Paul HARNETT Medical Oncologist, NSW
Phillip BEALE Medical Oncologist, NSW
Raef AWAD Radiation Oncologist, TAS
Raj MOHAN Gynaecological Oncologist, WA
Rhonda FARRELL Gynaecological Oncologist, NSW
Robert McINTOSH Medical Oncologist, TAS
Robert ROME Gynaecological Oncologist, VIC
Robyn SAYER Gynaecological Oncologist, NSW
Roger HOUGHTON Gynaecological Oncologist, NSW
Russell HOGG Gynaecological Oncologist, NSW
Russell LAND Gynaecological Oncologist, QLD
Sally BARON-HAY Medical Oncologist, NSW
Sellva PARAMASIVUM Gynaecological Oncologist, SA
Selvan PATHER Gynaecological Oncologist, NSW
Simon HYDE Gynaecological Oncologist, VIC
Stuart SALFINGER Gynaecological Oncologist, WA
Susan VALMADRE Gynaecological Oncologist, NSW
Thomas JOBLING Gynaecological Oncologist, VIC
Thomas MANOLITSAS Gynaecological Oncologist, VIC
Tony BONAVENTURA Medical Oncologist, NSW
Vivek ARORA Gynaecological Oncologist, VIC/NSW.

Project Manager

Suzanne O'BRIEN QLD.

Data Managers

Therese LAWTON QLD
Dr Torukiri IBIEBELE QLD.

Research Nurses and Assistants

Ellen MINEHAN NSW/ACT
Jayne MAIDENS NSW
Jillian HUNG NSW/QLD
Karen MARTIN QLD
Susan BROWN QLD
Leanne BOWES VIC
Nicole FAIRWEATHER VIC
Deborah ROFFE SA
Helen STEANE TAS
Melanie MOSEY WA
Rebekah CICERO QLD
Julianne WILSON QLD.

Who funded the OPAL Study?

The study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. NHMRC OPAL NHMRC Grant no GNT1025142 (2012-2016); OPAL 2 NHMRC Grant no gnt1120431 (2017-2021).

We would also like to acknowledge funding provided by: