Vanja’s Deadly Secret: Aussie Women in the Same Situation

A Journey of Awareness and Advocacy

Vanja Wilson’s life took a dramatic turn when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at just 38. Before this, she had no knowledge of the disease, and now she faces the daunting challenge of paying nearly $7000 a month for medication that could prevent the cancer from returning. This financial burden is a stark reminder of the lack of awareness surrounding ovarian cancer, which is the most lethal gynaecological cancer.

Wilson shared her experience with nine.com.au, highlighting the disparity in awareness between breast and ovarian cancers. “If I had felt a lump in my breast, I would have immediately taken it seriously because breast cancer awareness is so high,” she said. However, the same couldn’t be said for ovarian cancer, which she described as having “non-existent” awareness.

In Australia, nearly 2000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, but fewer than half survive more than five years. The survival rate is even lower for the 70% of women diagnosed in advanced stages. Despite the rising number of diagnoses, many women and girls remain unaware of the symptoms and the rapid progression of the disease.

The Misdiagnosis and Missed Signs

Wilson’s journey began with two symptoms that seemed insignificant on their own. First, she noticed a lump on her stomach in 2023, which two male GPs dismissed as a torn muscle or scar tissue. One advised her to get an MRI if she was really worried, but she couldn’t afford it. She chose to ignore the warning signs, believing they were not serious.

A few months later, she noticed blood in her stool. Given her family history of bowel disease, she scheduled a routine colonoscopy. Upon waking up, she found a piece of paper by her hospital bed covered in doctors’ notes. Curiosity led her to read it, and she saw words like “procedure interrupted,” “large stricture found in bowel,” and “biopsy taken.” At that moment, she knew the news would not be good.

Wilson was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer at 38, significantly younger than the average age of diagnosis. Ovarian cancer often goes undetected due to vague symptoms such as cramps, bloating, feeling full, or frequent urination, which can be mistaken for menstrual or menopause symptoms. There is currently no early detection test for the disease, and medical misogyny can play a role in delayed diagnoses.

The Struggle for Survival

Women frequently report having their concerns dismissed by medical professionals, especially males, who may label their symptoms as “normal” or dismiss them as being all in their heads. For Wilson, this lack of understanding was devastating. Trying to find answers was even scarier.

“If you Google survival rates for this cancer, they’re absolutely dire,” she said. With over 30 different subtypes, ovarian cancer is a complex disease to treat, yet treatment options have barely changed in the last 30 years. Women who survive treatment are not out of the woods either, as there’s an 80% chance the disease will return.

Wilson was terrified her daughters, just four and seven at the time, would be forced to grow up without her. The first few weeks after her diagnosis were the most terrifying and emotionally destructive period of her life.

The Cost of Treatment

Wilson’s treatment began with a six-hour surgery to remove three tumours, as well as her ovaries, uterus, part of her bowel, and part of her abdominal muscle. She woke up with 52 staples in her gut. Three weeks after the surgery, she started chemotherapy, which lasted 16 weeks. This was followed by a year of immunotherapy maintenance drug to keep the cancer at bay.

She was then transitioned to a new medication that studies have shown to be effective at delaying recurrence in patients with her ovarian cancer subtype. It costs her nearly $7000 a month, and she’ll be on it for three years. The drug is available for less than $30 through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for ovarian cancer patients with a BRCA mutation or Homologous Recombination Deficiency (HRD). However, Wilson has neither, so she had to pay thousands out of pocket.

“I’ve withdrawn my entire super fund to pay for the maintenance, which is crazy,” she said. She also had to pay for a chemo cold cap, a $5000 wig, and countless medications out of pocket throughout her cancer journey.

A Call for Change

Though she currently has no evidence of disease, Wilson lives in fear her cancer will return. She is doing everything in her power to make sure other women don’t share her fate as an ambassador for the 2026 Witchery White Shirt campaign. The campaign supports the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF), with 100% of gross proceeds from every shirt sold going directly to vital ovarian cancer research.

“I wanted to go so public and so loud because of my lack of awareness prior to this, I was actually just ashamed,” Wilson said. “And the lack of funding, the survival rate, the lack of awareness, the lack of women being heard … I was angry. I feel like this happened to me because I have a voice, so I need to use it.”

She wants her daughters to grow up in a world with early detection, better treatment, and a higher survival rate for women with ovarian cancer. But that will only happen through research, and research only happens with funding.