A significant step forward in the treatment of ovarian cancer has recently emerged, with the NHS making available a new targeted therapy, mirvetuximab soravtansine. Often described as a “biological missile”, the drug represents a shift away from traditional chemotherapy by delivering treatment directly to cancer cells, rather than affecting the whole body.
For patients, this distinction is more than scientific—it is transformative. Traditional chemotherapy, while effective, is frequently associated with debilitating side effects. By contrast, this new therapy is designed to limit harm to healthy cells, improving both quality of life and, importantly, overall survival.
Elizabeth O’Mahony, a medical negligence expert at Enable Law with extensive experience in ovarian cancer cases, highlights that advances like this are “critically important for patients who historically have had limited treatment options, particularly in later-stage or resistant forms of the disease.”
A targeted approach to treatment
Mirvetuximab soravtansine works by combining a chemotherapy drug with a specially designed antibody. These antibodies are engineered to recognise folate receptor alpha, a marker found on the surface of certain ovarian cancer cells. Once attached, the drug is absorbed into the cancer cell and releases its toxic payload, effectively destroying it from the inside.
This targeted method has led to measurable improvements. On average, survival increases from approximately 12.8 months with conventional chemotherapy to around 16.5 months with the new therapy. Equally significant is the reduced treatment burden: patients often experience fewer side effects, require less frequent treatment, and report a better overall quality of life.
For some, this means regaining independence and returning to everyday activities that would otherwise be impossible during chemotherapy.
Awareness, genetics and early diagnosis
While treatment innovation is crucial, awareness and early diagnosis remain equally vital. Ovarian cancer continues to be one of the most challenging cancers to detect in its early stages, partly because symptoms, such as persistent bloating, abdominal discomfort, or changes in bowel habits, can appear subtle or easily overlooked.
Campaigns such as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month have increasingly focused on the importance of recognising these symptoms and seeking medical advice early. A growing area of focus is also genetic predisposition.
Expanding access to genetic testing and improving GP awareness of risk factors are key to improving long-term outcomes.
Case study: delayed diagnosis and its consequences
Despite advancements in treatment, delayed diagnosis remains a serious issue, one that can have devastating consequences for patients and their families.
Enable Law recently represented the family of “Sarah” (name anonymised), a woman who was at increased risk of ovarian cancer due to her family history and heritage. Sarah was under the care of two separate healthcare providers, yet her condition went undiagnosed until the disease had progressed and metastasised.
Sarah brought a claim to understand how her diagnosis had been missed and to hold those responsible to account. Tragically, she passed away during the course of the litigation, and the claim was continued by her widow as a fatal case.
Elizabeth O’Mahony led the case, drawing on her expertise in complex ovarian cancer claims. The litigation required input from multiple medical disciplines, including gynaecology, radiology, oncology and pathology, to establish both breach of duty and causation.
The claim was strongly contested, with liability denied throughout. However, following intensive negotiations shortly before trial, a substantial six-figure settlement was secured for the family—six times higher than the defendants’ initial offer.
Beyond the financial outcome, the case had broader implications. Sarah’s children faced the possibility that they had inherited a genetic predisposition to ovarian cancer. Understanding Sarah’s diagnosis, and the factors that led to its delay, was therefore essential not only for closure, but for their future health and access to genetic testing.
Looking ahead
The arrival of new treatments like mirvetuximab soravtansine offers real hope for patients living with ovarian cancer. However, as Elizabeth O’Mahony emphasises, innovation in treatment must be matched by improvements in early diagnosis and patient awareness.
“Medical advances are only part of the picture,” she says. “Ensuring that patients are diagnosed promptly, and that potential failures in care are properly investigated, is equally critical in improving outcomes and safeguarding families.”
How Enable Law can help
At Enable Law we have a dedicated team of medical negligence experts who specialise in supporting clients who have concerns about the diagnosis and treatment they received of cancer. Our team is extremely experienced and has supported hundreds of clients get answers, funds for private treatment and access financial security for themselves and their dependants allowing them to focus on their treatment maximising their chances of recovery.
To speak to a Elizabeth O’Mahony or a member of the team call us today on 0800 044 8488 or fill in our contact form so a member of our team can call you back at a time convenient for you.
