The driving force behind The Appeal was a partnership between two men profoundly affected - in different ways - by ovarian cancer.

    Peter Vagn-Jensen                             Professor Ian Jacobs

Peter Vagn-Jensen had known his future wife, Lone, for only one year when she was diagnosed. The couple decided to tackle the disease head-on and set up a fundraising charity (now known as The Eve Appeal) in 1996. Sadly, Lone lost her battle with ovarian cancer eight years later, as even the best surgeons and treatments were unable to save her life.

Working as a gynaecologist in the 1980s, Professor Ian Jacobs was appalled by the poor survival rates of the women he saw with advanced ovarian cancer. He developed a vision for ground-breaking research that would revolutionise cancer detection, prevention, treatment and care.

That vision has become reality in his pioneering the Department of Women's Cancer, University College London (UCL). Today, the Department's overarching goal is to improve risk prediction and early detection of all gynaecological cancers. The Eve Appeal is dedicated to funding its life-saving work.