Bloating that won't go away. Bleeding after the menopause. Symptoms that are easy to brush off. Prof. Susana Banerjee, Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden and Professor in Women's Cancers at The Institute of Cancer Research, joins Dr Nara Daubeney to break the silence on gynae cancers.
In this episode of the Dokkcast:
• The five gynaecological cancers: ovarian, womb (endometrial), cervical, vulval and vaginal
• The early signs of ovarian cancer, and how long to wait before seeing your GP
• What happens next: CA125 blood test, ultrasound, scans and biopsy
• BRCA genes, and why they matter for your sons and brothers too
• How treatment has moved on: surgery, chemotherapy, targeted drugs and PARP inhibitors
• Side effects, survival rates and living well after cancer
• Cervical screening, the HPV vaccine and the new NHS home testing kits
• Why charities like the Lady Garden Foundation matter
About the guest
Prof. Susana Banerjee is Research Lead for the Gynaecology Unit at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. She has been chief investigator on more than 30 clinical trials, was UK lead investigator for mirvetuximab soravtansine, which in 2026 became the first new ovarian cancer treatment recommended by NICE in over 20 years, and led RAMP 201, the trial behind the first approved therapy for low-grade serous ovarian cancer. She chairs the ESMO Resilience Task Force on clinician burnout and was President of the Royal Society of Medicine Oncology Section (2024–26).
Host: Dr Nara Daubeney, Consultant ENT Surgeon and entrepreneur.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Meet Prof. Susana Banerjee
1:39 Welcome to the Dokkcast
2:27 From cardiology to cancer care
4:39 Combining research and patient care
6:53 Why she chose gynae cancers
7:36 The five gynaecological cancers
10:10 Which are most common, and most deadly?
11:34 Vulval and vaginal cancers
13:46 Living well with cancer
15:22 Ovarian cancer symptoms to look out for
18:34 How long before you see your GP?
21:45 What happens at the GP: CA125 and ultrasound
25:31 Biopsy and ovarian cancer subtypes
27:34 BRCA genes, PARP inhibitors and your family
30:44 Stages, and why diagnosis is often late
32:21 Surgery: removing every speck of cancer
34:54 Chemotherapy and targeted treatments
37:08 Side effects: hair loss, neuropathy and more
41:42 Ovarian cancer survival rates
44:59 Inequality, obesity and rising womb cancer
46:58 Cervical cancer, screening and the HPV vaccine
50:49 NHS home testing kits
52:30 Signs of cervical and womb cancer: bleeding
53:41 Cervical cancer around the world
55:11 Life after treatment: intimacy and menopause
1:00:15 The Royal Marsden at 175
1:03:14 The Lady Garden Foundation and the role of charities
1:06:30 The next 20 years
LINKS
Prof. Susana Banerjee: https://www.susanabanerjee.com/about
Her ICR profile: https://icr.ac.uk/our-research/researchers-and-teams/dr-susana-banerjee
The Royal Marsden: https://www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk
The Institute of Cancer Research: https://www.icr.ac.uk
Lady Garden Foundation: https://www.ladygardenfoundation.com
Target Ovarian Cancer: https://targetovariancancer.org.uk
Ovacome: https://ovacome.org.uk
The Eve Appeal (Ask Eve nurse line 0808 802 0019): https://eveappeal.org.uk
Macmillan Cancer Support (0808 808 00 00): https://www.macmillan.org.uk
NHS information
Ovarian cancer symptoms: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ovarian-cancer/symptoms/
Womb cancer symptoms: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/womb-cancer/symptoms/
Vulval cancer: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vulval-cancer/
Cervical screening: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-screening/
HPV vaccine: https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/hpv-vaccine/
NHS home testing kits: https://england.nhs.uk/2026/08/nhs-rolls-out-discreet-home-testing-kits-against-cervical-cancer-for-millions-of-women/
This video is general information, not medical advice. If you have symptoms that are new, persistent or unusual for you, speak to your GP.
#OvarianCancer #GynaeCancer #WomensHealth
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