Mission

 Ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest cancers among women, primarily because it is often diagnosed in its late stages. Early detection significantly improves survival rates; however, access to ovarian screening remains a critical challenge across Alberta. Women face multiple barriers, including a lack of local screening options, long travel distances, and limited awareness of the importance of early detection.

These challenges are particularly acute in rural areas and Indigenous communities:

These challenges are particularly acute in rural areas and Indigenous communities:

1. Geographic Barriers: Women in rural and remote parts of Alberta often have to travel hours to access health facilities, leading to delays or missed opportunities for early diagnosis.
2. Healthcare Gaps in Indigenous Communities: Indigenous women face systemic barriers to healthcare, including inadequate local services and mistrust of medical systems. This further contributes to lower screening rates and late-stage diagnoses.
3. Lack of Non-Invasive, Accessible Screening Tools: Current ovarian cancer detection methods are costly, invasive, and require specialized clinics, limiting their availability to underserved populations.

•  Ovarian cancer has a 5-year survival rate of 90% when detected early but drops to less than 30% when diagnosed late.
• Only 15% of ovarian cancers are detected at an early stage due to the lack of accessible screening.
• Alberta has a large rural population, with over 35% of residents living outside major urban centers, often far from healthcare facilities.
• Indigenous women are at a higher risk of late diagnosis due to healthcare disparities, cultural barriers, and remote locations.

• To address these challenges, Ovascan provides a fast, non-invasive, and clothing-free ovarian screening solution that can be deployed across Alberta. By using a traveling women’s health van, Ovascan eliminates geographic barriers, bringing life-saving screening technology directly to underserved communities, including:
• Urban centers for wide-scale early detection.
• Rural areas to ensure women outside major cities have access.
• Indigenous communities through culturally sensitive outreach and partnerships with local health leaders.
• This initiative fills a critical gap in women’s healthcare, empowering women with early diagnosis and improving ovarian cancer outcomes across Alberta.