Cancer
The rise of preventive gynaecology: What women need to know
Co-written By Dr Claire Gillvray and Tarang Majmudar, Welbeck Cambridge (2026)
Gynaecological cancers, cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar, pose a significant health risk across all age groups.
While treatment has advanced in recent years, early detection remains the single most crucial factor in improving survival, reducing the need for invasive treatments, and preserving quality of life.
Why Early Detection Matters
When gynaecological cancers are detected early, the five-year survival rate exceeds 90 per cent.
In contrast, late-stage diagnosis can reduce survival chances by more than half. Early detection truly can mean the difference between life and death.
In England, the introduction of cervical screening in 1998 and HPV vaccination in 2008 has drastically reduced the incidence and mortality associated with cervical cancer.
For endometrial cancer, postmenopausal bleeding is a red flag symptom, prompting timely medical intervention and generally resulting in early diagnosis.
Yet, ovarian and vulval cancers often go unnoticed.
Ovarian cancer’s vague symptoms such as bloating, abdominal discomfort, and appetite changes, are frequently mistaken for benign conditions.
Vulval cancer symptoms like itching or soreness are often overlooked, especially post-menopause.
To improve early detection, a threefold strategy is essential:
- Screening
- Symptom recognition
- Lifestyle modification
1. Screening
Cervical cancer is one of the few gynaecological cancers that is both preventable and detectable through routine screening.
Caused primarily by the human papillomavirus (HPV), cervical cancer rates have dropped significantly due to HPV vaccination and cervical screening programmes.
In 2023, NHS England outlined its goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.
Despite high HPV vaccination coverage (approximately 80 per cent), screening uptake has declined, particularly among younger women, where participation has dropped to 70 per cent.
The upcoming introduction of self-sampling for HPV aims to address this gap and improve participation.
However, no effective population-wide screening methods currently exist for ovarian, uterine, vaginal, or vulvar cancers.
This reality reinforces the importance of self-awareness, recognising symptoms, and attending regular gynaecological check-ups.
Dr Claire Gillvray
2. Recognising Warning Symptoms
Awareness of key symptoms is vital for early diagnosis:
- Cervical cancer: abnormal vaginal bleeding, post-coital bleeding, unusual discharge
- Ovarian cancer: persistent bloating, pelvic discomfort, urinary urgency, loss of appetite, weight loss
- Uterine cancer: postmenopausal bleeding, irregular or heavy periods
- Vaginal cancer: unusual bleeding or discharge
- Vulvar cancer: itching, pain, lumps, or ulceration
Although many of these symptoms can have benign causes, persistence or change from the norm should always prompt medical review.
Historically, women’s gynaecological symptoms have often been minimised or dismissed.
This has led to diagnostic delays for conditions like endometriosis, which still takes nearly 9 years on average to diagnose.
Young women are particularly vulnerable, with symptoms too often attributed to hormonal changes or stress.
Rather than placing blame, we must push for better education, research funding, and structural support to help clinicians, especially in primary care, identify early warning signs across diverse age groups and health backgrounds.
3. Lifestyle and Risk Reduction
Healthy habits can reduce the risk of several gynaecological conditions:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Eat a balanced, nutrient-rich diet
- Avoid tobacco and limit alcohol
- Get vaccinated for HPV and practice safe sex
- Attend regular health checks
- Manage conditions like diabetes and hypertension
- Seek genetic counselling if there’s a family history of breast, bowel, or gynaecological cancers
Prevention isn’t only about medical care, it’s also about empowering people with the knowledge and tools to take charge of their health.
The Role of Men and Partners in Gynaecological Health
Preventative gynaecology isn’t a “women-only” issue. Men and partners play an essential role in recognising early warning signs, supporting open health conversations, and advocating for equitable care.
Awareness campaigns must include all genders, so that everyone can support informed decisions, challenge stigma, and help normalise seeking help early.
The Rise of FemTech
Preventative gynaecology is being transformed by FemTech with technologies including:
- Menstrual tracking apps
- Wearable hormone monitors
- At-home diagnostics
- AI-powered symptom tools
These innovations give people more insight into their own health and more confidence when seeking care.
Yet, technology alone isn’t enough. It must be paired with systemic changes in how symptoms are recognised and responded to.
Chronic pain, abnormal bleeding, and fatigue are too often normalised, leading to prolonged suffering and delayed diagnoses.
Empowering Through Self-Advocacy
Tarang Majmudar
A central tenet of preventative gynaecology is self-advocacy. This involves:
- Know your normal—cycles, mood, energy, libido
- Use tech to track symptoms and patterns
- Push for answers when something feels “off”
- Recognise that stress, sleep, and environment all play a role in health
Empowerment also means expecting and demanding respectful, informed care. It’s about being heard, not dismissed.
Prevention in Action: Real Progress
We’re already seeing the benefits of preventative measures:
- The HPV vaccine is reducing cervical cancer rates significantly.
- Early hormone therapy during perimenopause can protect bone, brain, and heart health.
- Growing awareness of reproductive conditions is shortening the diagnostic journey for many.
When supported by data and technology, people can have more meaningful conversations with healthcare providers and make informed choices about their bodies and care.
Looking Forward
For individuals:
Use digital tools to track trends and flag changes. Treat this data as a conversation starter, not a diagnosis.
For clinicians:
Engage with new technologies. Ask proactively about menstrual, hormonal, and sexual health.
For innovators:
Design inclusive, accessible tools for all bodies, all ages, all ethnicities.
For policymakers and researchers:
Support funding for research that focuses on earlier detection, better diagnostics, and equitable access to care.
The future of gynaecological care is not just about reacting to disease, it’s about preventing it, detecting it early, and empowering everyone to take control of their health.
Preventative gynaecology is more than a trend, it’s a necessity.
With education, accessible tools, cultural change, and collaborative action, we can make early detection the norm, not the exception.
The FDA has granted accelerated approval to AstraZeneca drug Etcamah for certain adults with advanced breast cancer carrying an ESR1 mutation.
Etcamah, also known as camizestrant, was approved in combination with a CDK4/6 inhibitor, either abemaciclib, palbociclib or ribociclib.
The treatment is for adults with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer when an estrogen receptor-1 (ESR1) mutation is detected during aromatase inhibitor and CDK4/6 inhibitor therapy using an FDA-authorised test.
ESR1 mutations are acquired resistance mutations that tumours may develop during treatment with aromatase inhibitors, a type of endocrine therapy commonly used as a front-line treatment for locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
Fewer than 5 per cent of patients have the mutation when HR-positive metastatic breast cancer is diagnosed, according to the FDA. After disease progression on an aromatase inhibitor, nearly 40 per cent have the mutation.
Acting FDA commissioner Kyle Diamantas said: “Women living with metastatic breast cancer face an uphill battle as their tumors continuously evolve to escape treatment.
“We owe them every weapon in our arsenal.
“Today’s approval delivers a win to these patients by granting them a targeted therapy designed specifically to overcome resistance, giving them more time before their disease progresses.”
The accelerated approval programme allows earlier approval of drugs that treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need based on surrogate or intermediate endpoints.
For Etcamah, approval was based on how long patients lived without their disease worsening, measured from when the resistance mutation was first detected in their blood.
The FDA said it has not yet been confirmed whether intervening when the mutation is detected, rather than waiting until disease progression is confirmed, results in a clinically meaningful benefit. Confirmatory studies are therefore required to verify and describe clinical benefit.
Angelo de Claro, director of the FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence, said: “I commend both the FDA and the sponsor for their commitment to advancing cancer care and securing this accelerated approval.
“This marks the first FDA approval of a cancer therapy guided by the detection of a resistance mutation in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) before imaging tests show that the disease is progressing.
“But additional evidence is needed to confirm clinical benefit.”
Circulating tumour DNA, or ctDNA, consists of small pieces of tumour DNA released into the blood and can allow earlier molecular detection of resistance mutations.
The FDA also authorised the Guardant360 CDx assay as a companion diagnostic to identify patients with breast cancer who have ESR1 mutations for treatment with camizestrant.
Efficacy was assessed in a clinical trial comparing a switch to Etcamah plus a CDK4/6 inhibitor with continued treatment using an aromatase inhibitor plus a CDK4/6 inhibitor.
Estimated median progression-free survival was 16 months in the Etcamah group, compared with 9.2 months in the aromatase inhibitor group.
Etcamah’s prescribing information includes a boxed warning about the risk of irregular heart rhythm when taken with certain other medicines. It also includes warnings about an abnormally slow heart rate and potential harm to an unborn baby.
The FDA convened its Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee for the application on 30 April 2026.
Scotland has launched a review of NHS IVF access, including whether treatment should extend to single women and couples with children from previous relationships.
The national review will assess how fertility services can better reflect modern family structures while maintaining fair and consistent access across Scotland.
It will also examine access to fertility preservation services, particularly for women who have undergone cancer treatment, and ways to cut waiting times for patients who need donor eggs or sperm.
Scotland currently offers the most comprehensive nationwide NHS IVF provision in the UK. Eligible patients can access up to three full cycles of IVF treatment through the NHS, subject to existing eligibility criteria.
Ministers will also consider updated clinical guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
The revised recommendations suggest patients who have not achieved a successful pregnancy after three IVF cycles could benefit from up to three additional NHS-funded treatment cycles.
The review is part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to examining how fertility services are delivered and whether they meet patients’ needs across Scotland.
Scottish health secretary Angela Constance said: “Access to NHS IVF treatment should be fair, timely and reflect the way people’s lives and families look today, and delivering this review is one of our key 100 day commitments.
“The review will look closely at the current system, including waiting times for those who need donor eggs or sperm for their treatment.
“This work builds on annual Scottish Government funding, which has supported the expansion of NHS IVF treatment over the past ten years.”
Healthcare leaders and fertility specialists will be watching closely as the review progresses, with any future changes potentially broadening access to treatment and addressing long-standing concerns around equity, consistency and waiting times.
Women’s health medical device company Ark Surgical has secured further institutional backing from JNF and the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) as it accelerates the US commercial expansion of its surgical tissue containment technology.
Both organisations have previously backed Ark, making the renewed support a significant vote of confidence in the company’s technology, leadership team and commercial strategy as it moves into its next stage of growth.
The new backing comes alongside Ark Surgical’s ongoing Series A financing round, which has also attracted investment from physicians and experienced medical device executives, adding further industry validation as the company builds its US commercial presence.
The Israel Innovation Authority, Israel’s public agency supporting technological innovation, selected Ark Surgical for additional non-dilutive funding following an extensive evaluation process.
The assessment examined the unmet clinical need addressed by Ark’s technology, its clinical results, business and US go-to-market strategy, Israeli and US teams, execution against milestones and future product pipeline.
JNF, which supports economic development and community-building initiatives in Israel, has also increased its previous backing of Ark Surgical.
The relationship has particular significance given Ark’s roots in northern Israel. The company is headquartered near Nazareth in the Galilee and plans to continue strengthening its manufacturing capabilities in the region as its commercial presence in the US grows.
Together, the continued institutional support and investment from experienced healthcare leaders reflect growing confidence in Ark’s technology and its strategy for US expansion.
Stav Tori, CEO of Ark Surgical, said: “Having organisations that already know Ark, our technology and our team choose to support us again is particularly meaningful.
“It reflects our ability to consistently achieve the clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones we set and gives us additional resources to accelerate our expansion in the US.
“Our ambition goes beyond bringing another medical device to market.
“We want to help establish a higher standard of surgical safety for women undergoing minimally invasive procedures.”
Addressing an overlooked risk in women’s surgery
At the centre of Ark’s expansion is LapBox, the company’s FDA-cleared dual-wall tissue containment system developed to address an important safety challenge in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.
Procedures such as hysterectomy and myomectomy can require large uterine specimens or fibroids to be divided into smaller pieces so they can be removed through small laparoscopic incisions.
This process, known as morcellation, carries a risk of disseminating tissue within the abdominal cavity.
In rare cases where an unsuspected malignancy is present, morcellation can spread malignant tissue and potentially worsen a patient’s prognosis.
But the risk is not limited to cancer.
Even benign uterine tissue can implant elsewhere in the abdominal cavity and grow, potentially resulting in complications such as parasitic fibroids and the need for additional treatment.
LapBox was developed as a dual-wall, bag-in-bag containment system that creates a secured chamber for tissue extraction. The device is FDA-cleared for use with both manual and power morcellation.
From clinical innovation to US adoption
Ark Surgical is now moving beyond its clinical and regulatory milestones to focus on broader commercial adoption.
LapBox™ has already been used in hundreds of procedures, while Ark has been expanding its presence within US hospitals and building relationships with leading minimally invasive gynecologic surgeons.
The latest institutional backing will support the next stage of that strategy, including additional hospital partnerships, key opinion leader engagement, sales leadership and clinical support.
Joseph LaBruzzo, President and CEO of U.S. Operations at Ark Surgical, said: “Ark has reached an important point in its development.
“We have the regulatory clearance, growing clinical experience and increasing engagement from US surgeons and hospitals.
“The focus now is execution and scale.
“What makes this continued backing particularly meaningful is that these are organizations that have followed Ark’s development and seen the team deliver against its objectives.
“Their decision to support the company again provides further validation as we build the commercial and clinical infrastructure needed for broader US adoption.”
That growing adoption is also being reflected in the experience of surgeons using LapBox.
Dr Ramon Yera, a minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon with more than 35 years of experience, said: “Once surgeons use LapBox, they realize this is the bag they should be using for their bread-and-butter procedures.”
Yera believes this reflects a broader shift in expectations around tissue containment in gynecologic surgery.
“Containment is no longer optional. It is an expectation.”
Ark Surgical is continuing its Series A financing round, with additional capital intended to support the next phase of US commercial expansion and development of its broader product pipeline.
Further information for prospective investors is available at ark-surgical.com/investment
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