Race and socioeconomic status linked to disparities in ovarian cancer care, survival

Race and socioeconomic factors correlated with poorer quality of care and 5-year survival rates for many women with ovarian cancer, according to study results.

Robert E. Bristow, MD, director of gynecologic oncology services at the University of California Irvine Healthcare, and colleagues used the National Cancer Data Base to analyze the outcomes of 47,160 women treated for ovarian cancer between 1998 and 2002.

Researchers determined 43.9% of the women received treatment that adhered to National Comprehensive Cancer

Network (NCCN) guidelines. Black patients — as well as women who were not insured or who were on Medicare, regardless of race — were less likely to receive care that adhered to NCCN guidelines.

When researchers evaluated the women who received NCCN-adherent care, they determined white patients experienced significantly longer 5-year survival compared with black patients (41.4% vs. 33.3%). The results differ from prior studies, which suggested administering equal care may reduce survival disparities. Factors other than standard of care must be considered to try to determine why the survival outcomes are different, researchers said.

When researchers evaluated socioeconomic status, they determined women were less likely to receive care that adhered to NCCN guidelines if their median household income was less than $35,000. Women in that income bracket also were more likely to die of ovarian cancer, researchers said. Patients who were uninsured or who were covered by Medicare were significantly more likely to receive poorer care, and they also had a higher risk of dying from the disease, researchers said.

For more information:

• Abstract #1.Presented at: Society of Gynecologic Oncologists’ 43rd Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer; March 24-27; Austin, Texas.