Endometriosis is a long-term condition affecting 1 in 10 women and those assigned female sex at birth, from puberty into adulthood. It causes severe pelvic pain, painful periods or sex, infertility, fatigue, and poor quality of life. 聽Diagnosis requires keyhole surgery, where endometriosis tissue can be removed to reduce pain.聽 However, oestrogen from the ovaries can cause regrowth leading to recurrence or persistence of pain.聽 Current hormonal treatments work as contraceptives, making them unsuitable for those trying to get pregnant. Many experience ongoing pain despite surgery and medication and up to 50% report recurrence within five years, and two-thirds need further surgery.
There is no cure for endometriosis. Repeated surgeries and hormonal treatments reduce future options, harm physical and mental well-being, and increase dissatisfaction with care. 聽Pain management programmes (PMP) which include physiotherapy and psychological support, have been effective in other chronic pain conditions. They help people cope better, improve quality of life, and to maintain work and social activities.
Non-surgical pain management is a top research priority in endometriosis, as identified by patients and doctors. A 2020 UK parliamentary report, based on a survey of 10,000 women, reported that the majority wanted psychological support and physiotherapy to manage their symptoms. These services are not part of standard NHS care.聽 Endometriosis might need a different approach from other chronic pain conditions, so we have developed an endometriosis specific PMP.
The PanacEa study is funded by the NIHR HTA and led by Dr Lucky Saraswat based in NHS Grampian.聽 The study will compare an endometriosis-specific PMP combined with standard care versus standard care alone. The PMP will be delivered on-line, run for 12 weeks and include psychotherapy, physiotherapy, pain and fatigue self-management and education.
We鈥檒l invite 400 women from across the UK with endometriosis to take part in the PanacEa study.聽 Half will receive the PMP combined with standard care and half will receive standard care alone.聽 We will collect information about their quality of life and other outcomes for 12 months.
If shown to be effective, the PMP could be integrated into the NHS to improve long-term outcomes for women with endometriosis.
We aim to start recruiting women into the PanacEa study at the end of 2026 or early 2027.聽
Click here to read the press release.聽 The PanacEa study webpage will be updated when the study starts to recruit participants (later in 2026).聽 Check back here for updated information or email panacea@abdn.ac.uk to register interest in taking part.
Contacts
- PanacEa email; panacea@abdn.ac.uk