Trends in the Receipt of Guideline Care and Survival for Women with Ovarian Cancer: A Population-Based Study

(April 20, 2017) Researchers from the National Cancer Institute assessed trends in the receipt of guideline care and 2-year cause-specific survival for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The study included 6427 women diagnosed in 2002 and in 2011.
• The adjusted rate of women who received stage-appropriate surgery, 48%, was unchanged from 2002 to 2011.
• Gynecologic oncologist (GO) consultations increased from 43% (2002) to 78% (2011).
• GO consultation was a significant predictor for receipt of guideline care, although only 40% of women who saw a GO received guideline surgery and chemotherapy.
• The percent of women who received guideline surgery and chemotherapy increased significantly from 32% in 2002 to 37% in 2011.
• From 2002 to 2011, 2-year cause-specific ovarian cancer survival was unchanged for Stages I-III cancers, with slight improvement for Stage IV cancers.

The authors of the study concluded that, although the number of women seeing a GO has improved significantly, many women are still not receiving guideline care.