Sociodemographic disparities in advanced ovarian cancer survival and adherence to treatment guidelines

The relationship between household income and prognosis of patients with cervical adenocarcinoma in the United States: A retrospective cohort study based on the SEER database

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between household income and overall survival (OS) of patients with cervical adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving participants selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Data were collected on various variables, including demographic variables such as median household income and clinicopathological characteristics for all participants. Cox regression analysis was utilized to examine the association between household income and OS. Subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and E-value were used to further confirm the association.

RESULTS

A total of 2217 patients were included in the study. Compared with low-income (<$35,000-$54,999), middle-income (55,000-$69,999) or high-income (≥$70,000) was significantly associated with a higher 5-year OS (70.8 %, 58.7 % vs 50 %) in patients with cervical adenocarcinoma. The HR was 0.49, 95 % CI 0.41-0.58, p < 0.001 and 0.66 (0.55-0.78), p < 0.001 respectively, in the unadjusted model. After adjustment for potential confounders, the results were similar (adjusted HR 0.54 (0.45-0.65), p < 0.001) and 0.79 (0.66-0.94), p = 0.01), respectively. This significant association was also present in the various adjusted models. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses suggested that the relationship remained robust and reliable. The E-value analysis indicated robustness to unmeasured confounding. There was evidence of an interaction between age at diagnosis, race, primary site, tumor grade, T, N, M, or Scope Reg LN Sur, and household income on increasing the 5-year OS of cervical adenocarcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study found that middle or high household income was significantly associated with a better 5-year OS compared with low household income in patients with cervical adenocarcinoma.

Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy among diverse patients with BRCA mutations at an urban public hospital: a mixed methods study

OBJECTIVES

To assess the association of socioeconomic demographics with recommendation for and uptake of risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (rrBSO) in patients with BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) mutations.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort, semistructured qualitative interviews.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

BRCA1/2 mutation carriers at an urban, public hospital with a racially and socioeconomically diverse population.

INTERVENTION

None.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES

The primary outcomes were rate of rrBSO recommendation and completion. Secondary outcomes were sociodemographic variables associated with rrBSO completion.

RESULTS

The cohort included 167 patients with BRCA1/2 mutations of whom 39% identified as black (n=65), 35% white (n=59) and 19% Hispanic (n=32). Over 95% (n=159) received the recommendation for age-appropriate rrBSO, and 52% (n=87) underwent rrBSO. Women who completed rrBSO were older in univariable analysis (p=0.05), but not in multivariable analysis. Completion of rrBSO was associated with residence in zip codes with lower unemployment and documented recommendation for rrBSO (p<0.05). All subjects who still received care in the health system (n=79) were invited to complete interviews regarding rrBSO decision-making, but only four completed surveys for a response rate of 5.1%. Themes that emerged included menopause, emotional impact and familial support.

CONCLUSIONS

In this understudied population, genetic counselling and surrogates of financial health were associated with rrBSO uptake, highlighting genetics referrals and addressing social determinants of health as opportunities to improve cancer prevention and reduce health inequities. Our study demonstrates a need for more culturally centred recruiting methods for qualitative research in marginalised communities to ensure adequate representation in the literature regarding rrBSO.

Factors Associated with Head and Neck Cancer Postoperative Radiotherapy Delays: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Initiating postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) within 6 weeks of surgery for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is included in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clincal Practice Guidelines and is a Commission on Cancer quality metric. Factors associated with delays in starting PORT have not been systematically described nor synthesized.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL.

REVIEW METHODS

We included studies describing demographic characteristics, clinical factors, or social determinants of health associated with PORT delay (>6 weeks) in patients with HNSCC treated in the United States after 2003. Meta-analysis of odds ratios (ORs) was performed on nonoverlapping datasets.

RESULTS

Of 716 unique abstracts reviewed, 21 studies were included in the systematic review and 15 in the meta-analysis. Study sample size ranged from 19 to 60,776 patients. In the meta-analysis, factors associated with PORT delay included black race (OR, 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.28-1.67), Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 1.37, 95% CI, 1.17-1.60), Medicaid or no health insurance (OR, 2.01, 95% CI, 1.90-2.13), lower income (OR, 1.38, 95% CI, 1.20-1.59), postoperative admission >7 days (OR, 2.92, 95% CI, 2.31-3.67), and 30-day hospital readmission (OR, 1.37, 95% CI, 1.29-1.47).

CONCLUSION

Patients at greatest risk for a delay in initiating guideline-adherent PORT include those who are from minoritized communities, of lower socioeconomic status, and experience postoperative challenges. These findings provide the foundational evidence needed to deliver targeted interventions to enhance equity and quality in HNSCC care delivery.

Barriers to cancer treatment for people experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage in high-income countries: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Despite advances in cancer research and treatment, the burden of cancer is not evenly distributed. People experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage have higher rates of cancer, later stage at diagnoses, and are dying of cancers that are preventable and screen-detectable. However, less is known about barriers to accessing cancer treatment.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review of studies examining barriers to accessing cancer treatment for populations experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage in high-income countries, searched across four biomedical databases. Studies published in English between 2008 and 2021 in high-income countries, as defined by the World Bank, and reporting on barriers to cancer treatment were included.

RESULTS

A total of 20 studies were identified. Most (n = 16) reported data from the United States, and the remaining included publications were from Canada (n = 1), Ireland (n = 1), United Kingdom (n = 1), and a scoping review (n = 1). The majority of studies (n = 9) focused on barriers to breast cancer treatment. The most common barriers included: inadequate insurance and financial constraints (n = 16); unstable housing (n = 5); geographical distribution of services and transportation challenges (n = 4); limited resources for social care needs (n = 7); communication challenges (n = 9); system disintegration (n = 5); implicit bias (n = 4); advanced diagnosis and comorbidities (n = 8); psychosocial dimensions and contexts (n = 6); and limited social support networks (n = 3). The compounding effect of multiple barriers exacerbated poor access to cancer treatment, with relevance across many social locations.

CONCLUSION

This review highlights barriers to cancer treatment across multiple levels, and underscores the importance of identifying patients at risk for socioeconomic disadvantage to improve access to treatment and cancer outcomes. Findings provide an understanding of barriers that can inform future, equity-oriented policy, practice, and service innovation.

The effect of urban racial residential segregation on ovarian cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survival

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of racial residential segregation on disparities between Black and White patients in stage at diagnosis, receipt of surgery, and survival.

METHODS

Subjects included Black and White patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer between 2005 and 2015 obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Demographic data were obtained from the 2010 decennial census and 2013 American Community Survey. The exposure of interest was the index of dissimilarity (IOD), a validated measure of segregation. The outcomes of interest included relative risk of advanced stage at diagnosis and surgery for localized disease, 5-year overall and cancer-specific survival.

RESULTS

Black women were more likely to present with Stage IV ovarian cancer when compared to White (32% vs 25%, p < 0.001) and less often underwent surgical resection overall (64% vs 75%, p < 0.001). Increasing IOD was associated with a 25% increased risk of presenting at advanced stage for Black patients (RR 1.25, 95% CI 1.08, 1.45), and a 15% decrease for White patients (RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.73, 0.99). Increasing IOD was associated with an 18% decreased likelihood of undergoing surgical resection for black patients (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.77, 0.87), but had no significant association for White patients (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.96, 1.08). When compared to White patients in the lowest level of segregation, Black patients in the highest level of segregation had a 17% higher subhazard of death (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.07, 1.27), while Black patients in the lowest level of segregation had no significant difference (HR 1.13, 95% CI 0.99, 1.29).

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate the direct harm of historical government mandated segregation on Black women with ovarian cancer.

Short-term survival analysis of a risk-adjusted model for ovarian cancer care

OBJECTIVE

To quantify the impact on short-term ovarian cancer survival associated with treatment at high-performing hospitals using the observed-to-expected ratio (O/E) for adherence to ovarian cancer treatment guidelines as a risk-adjusted measure of hospital quality care.

METHODS

This was a retrospective population-based study of stage I-IV invasive epithelial ovarian cancer reported to California Cancer Registry 1996-2017. A fit logistic regression model, risk-adjusted for patient and disease characteristics, was used to calculate O/E for each hospital stratified by hospital annual case volume. Cox proportional hazards model was used for survival analyses at 3, 6, 12, 24 months and stratified according to sociodemographic characteristics.

RESULTS

The study population included 35,725 subjects treated at 443 hospitals: Low-O/E - 26.4% of cases; Intermediate-O/E - 55.5% of cases; and High-O/E - 18.1% of cases. Overall median survival by hospital category was: High-O/E = 72.5 months (95% CI = 68.6-78.6 months), Intermediate-O/E = 68.6 months (95% CI = 65.9-71.6 months), Low-O/E = 47.0 months (95% CI = 44.2-49.2 months). Initial treatment at a High-O/E hospital (HR = 1.00) was a statistically significant and independent predictor of improved short-term survival compared to Low-O/E hospitals at 3 months (HR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.29-1.65), 6 months (HR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.22-1.50), 12 months (HR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.17-1.38), and 24 months (HR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.11-1.27). Significant and independent associations between improved sort-term survival and High/O/E care were observed for Whites, Hispanics, Asian/Pacific Islanders (A/PI), across SES strata, and among all payer categories.

CONCLUSION

Ovarian cancer care at a High-O/E hospital is an independent predictor of improved outcome and the survival advantage is disproportionately weighted toward the short-term time horizon following diagnosis.

Association between hospital volume and outcomes in invasive ovarian cancer in Belgium: A population-based study

OBJECTIVES

To study the association between hospital volume and outcomes in patients with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

METHODS

This study included 3988 patients diagnosed with invasive EOC between 2014 and 2018, selected from the population-based database of the Belgian Cancer Registry (BCR), and coupled with health insurance and vital status data. The associations between hospital volume and observed survival since diagnosis were assessed with Cox proportional hazard models, while volume associations with 30-day post-operative mortality and complicated recovery were evaluated using logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Treatment for EOC was very dispersed with half of the 100 centres treating fewer than six patients per year. The median survival of patients treated in centres with the highest-volume quartile was 2.5 years longer than in those with the lowest-volume quartile (4.2 years versus 1.7 years). When taking the case-mix of hospitals into account, patients treated in the lowest volume centres had a 47% higher hazard to die than patients treated in the highest volume centres (HR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.11-1.93, p = 0.006) over the first five years after incidence. A similar association was found when focussing on the surgical volume of the hospitals and considering only operated patients with invasive EOC. Lastly, the 30-day post-operative mortality decreased significantly with increasing surgical volume.

CONCLUSIONS

The large dispersion of care and expertise within Belgium and the volume-outcome associations observed in this study support the implementation of the concentration of care for patients with invasive EOC in reference centres.

Demographic disparities in trend of gynecological cancer in the United States

PURPOSE

This study aimed to analyze the age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per 100,000 for gynecological cancer-related deaths in the United States from 1999 to 2020. We compare trends by different demographic groups to identify significant disparities in these rates between populations within the United States.

METHODS

The National Cancer Institute's Joinpoint Regression Program was used to calculate the average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) to identify trends over the study period using data from the CDC Wonder database, which comprises of demographic information for all causes of mortality in the United States from death certificate records.

RESULTS

From 1999 to 2020, the African American population exhibited a significant downtrend (AAPC, -0.8% [95% CI, - 1.0% to - 0.6%]; p < 0.01), while the white population also demonstrated a notable downtrend (AAPC, - 1.0% [95% CI, - 1.2% to - 0.8%]; p < 0.01). Similarly, the AI/AN population experienced a decline (AAPC, - 1.6% [95% CI, - 2.4% to - 0.9%]; p < 0.01). The AAPI population did not observe a significant trend (AAPC, - 0.2% [95% CI, - 0.5% to 0.5%]; p = 0.127). In addition, the Hispanic/LatinX population experiencing a lower rate of decline compared to non-Hispanics (p = 0.025).

CONCLUSIONS

We found that the AI/AN population to observe the greatest downtrend in mortality rates, while the AAPI observed the least and that the African American population observed a smaller downtrend when compared to the white population. In addition, the Hispanic/LatinX community are significantly being underserved by developing therapies compared to the non-Hispanic/LatinX population. These findings provide valuable insights into the impact of gynecological cancers on specific demographic groups, emphasizing the urgency of targeted interventions to address disparities and improve outcomes.

Role of neighborhood context in ovarian cancer survival disparities: current research and future directions

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-associated mortality among US women with survival disparities seen across race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, even after accounting for histology, stage, treatment, and other clinical factors. Neighborhood context can play an important role in ovarian cancer survival, and, to the extent to which minority racial and ethnic groups and populations of lower socioeconomic status are more likely to be segregated into neighborhoods with lower quality social, built, and physical environment, these contextual factors may be a critical component of ovarian cancer survival disparities. Understanding factors associated with ovarian cancer outcome disparities will allow clinicians to identify patients at risk for worse outcomes and point to measures, such as social support programs or transportation aid, that can help to ameliorate such disparities. However, research on the impact of neighborhood contextual factors in ovarian cancer survival and in disparities in ovarian cancer survival is limited. This commentary focuses on the following neighborhood contextual domains: structural and institutional context, social context, physical context represented by environmental exposures, built environment, rurality, and healthcare access. The research conducted to date is presented and clinical implications and recommendations for future interventions and studies to address disparities in ovarian cancer outcomes are proposed.

Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) clinical practice guideline on immunotherapy for the treatment of gynecologic cancer

Advanced gynecologic cancers have historically lacked effective treatment options. Recently, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of cervical cancer and endometrial cancer, offering durable responses for some patients. In addition, many immunotherapy strategies are under investigation for the treatment of earlier stages of disease or in other gynecologic cancers, such as ovarian cancer and rare gynecologic tumors. While the integration of ICIs into the standard of care has improved outcomes for patients, their use requires a nuanced understanding of biomarker testing, treatment selection, patient selection, response evaluation and surveillance, and patient quality of life considerations, among other topics. To address this need for guidance, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) convened a multidisciplinary panel of experts to develop a clinical practice guideline. The Expert Panel drew on the published literature as well as their own clinical experience to develop evidence- and consensus-based recommendations to provide guidance to cancer care professionals treating patients with gynecologic cancer.

Health-care access dimensions and ovarian cancer survival: SEER-Medicare analysis of the ORCHiD study

BACKGROUND

Racial and ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer (OC) survival are well-documented. However, few studies have investigated how health-care access (HCA) contributes to these disparities.

METHODS

To evaluate the influence of HCA on OC mortality, we analyzed 2008-2015 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between HCA dimensions (affordability, availability, accessibility) and OC-specific and all-cause mortality, adjusting for patient characteristics and treatment receipt.

RESULTS

The study cohort included 7590 OC patients: 454 (6.0%) Hispanic, 501 (6.6%) Non-Hispanic (NH) Black, and 6635 (87.4%) NH White. Higher affordability (HR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.87 to 0.94), availability (HR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.92 to 0.99), and accessibility scores (HR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.87 to 0.99) were associated with lower risk of OC mortality after adjusting for demographic and clinical factors. Racial disparities were observed after additional adjustment for these HCA dimensions: NH Black patients experienced a 26% higher risk of OC mortality compared with NH White patients (HR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.43) and a 45% higher risk among patients who survived at least 12 months (HR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.16 to 1.81).

CONCLUSIONS

HCA dimensions are statistically significantly associated with mortality after OC and explain some, but not all, of the observed racial disparity in survival of patients with OC. Although equalizing access to quality health care remains critical, research on other HCA dimensions is needed to determine additional factors contributing to disparate OC outcomes by race and ethnicity and advance the field toward health equity.

The Impact of Racial Disparities on Outcome in Patients With Stage IIIC Endometrial Carcinoma: A Pooled Data Analysis

OBJECTIVE

To report the impact of race on clinical outcomes in patients with stage IIIC endometrial carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective multi-institutional study included 90 black and 568 non-black patients with stage IIIC endometrial carcinoma who received adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 27.

RESULTS

The Median follow-up was 45.3 months. black patients were significantly older, had more nonendometrioid histology, grade 3 tumors, and were more likely to have >1 positive paraaortic lymph nodes compared with non-black patients (all P <0.0001). The 5-year estimated OS and RFS rates were 45% and 47% compared with 77% and 68% for black patients versus non-black patients, respectively ( P <0.001). After PSM, the 2 groups were well-balanced for all prognostic covariates. The estimated hazard ratios of black versus non-black patients were 1.613 ( P value=0.045) for OS and 1.487 ( P value=0.116) for RFS. After PSM, black patients were more likely to receive the "Sandwich" approach and concurrent chemoradiotherapy compared with non-black ( P =0.013) patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Black patients have higher rates of nonendometrioid histology, grade 3 tumors, and number of involved paraaortic lymph nodes, worse OS, and RFS, and were more likely to receive the "Sandwich" approach compared with non-black patients. After PSM, black patients had worse OS with a nonsignificant trend in RFS. Access to care, equitable inclusion on randomized trials, and identification of genomic differences are warranted to help mitigate disparities.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Ovarian Cancer: Are There Racial Disparities in Use and Survival?

BACKGROUND

We investigated racial and ethnic disparities in treatment sequence [i.e., neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) plus interval debulking surgery (IDS) versus primary debulking surgery (PDS) plus adjuvant chemotherapy] among patients with ovarian cancer and its contribution to disparities in mortality.

METHODS

Study included 37,566 women ages ≥18 years, diagnosed with stage III/IV ovarian cancer from the National Cancer Database (2004-2017). Logistic regression was used to compute ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for racial and ethnic disparities in treatment sequence. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate HRs and 95% CI for racial and ethnic disparities in all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and Asian women were more likely to receive NACT plus IDS relative to PDS plus adjuvant chemotherapy than non-Hispanic White (NHW) women (OR: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.02-1.22 and OR: 1.12; 95% CI: 0.99-1.28, respectively). Compared with NHW women, NHB women had increased hazard of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.09-1.20), whereas Asian and Hispanic women had a lower hazard of all-cause mortality (HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.74-0.88 and HR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.77-0.88, respectively), which did not change after accounting for treatment sequence.

CONCLUSIONS

NHB women were more likely to receive NACT plus IDS and experience a higher all-cause mortality rates than NHW women.

IMPACT

Differences in treatment sequence did not explain racial disparities in all-cause mortality. Further evaluation of racial and ethnic differences in treatment and survival in a cohort of patients with detailed treatment information is warranted.

Factor Analysis of Health Care Access With Ovarian Cancer Surgery and Gynecologic Oncologist Consultation

IMPORTANCE

Poor health care access (HCA) is associated with racial and ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer (OC) survival.

OBJECTIVE

To generate composite scores representing health care affordability, availability, and accessibility via factor analysis and to evaluate the association between each score and key indicators of guideline-adherent care.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This retrospective cohort study used data from patients with OC diagnosed between 2008 and 2015 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Medicare database. The SEER Medicare database uses cancer registry data and linked Medicare claims from 12 US states. Included patients were Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White individuals aged 65 years or older diagnosed from 2008 to 2015 with first or second primary OC of any histologic type (International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, 3rd Edition [ICD-O-3] code C569). Data were analyzed from June 2020 to June 2022.

EXPOSURES

The SEER-Medicare data set was linked with publicly available data sets to obtain 35 variables representing health care affordability, availability, and accessibility. A composite score was created for each dimension using confirmatory factor analysis followed by a promax (oblique) rotation on multiple component variables.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The main outcomes were consultation with a gynecologic oncologist for OC and receipt of OC-related surgery in the 2 months prior to or 6 months after diagnosis.

RESULTS

The cohort included 8987 patients, with a mean (SD) age of 76.8 (7.3) years and 612 Black patients (6.8%), 553 Hispanic patients (6.2%), and 7822 White patients (87.0%). Black patients (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.75; 95% CI, 0.62-0.91) and Hispanic patients (aOR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.67-0.99) were less likely to consult a gynecologic oncologist compared with White patients, and Black patients were less likely to receive surgery after adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics (aOR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.62-0.94). HCA availability and affordability were each associated with gynecologic oncologist consultation (availability: aOR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.09-1.24; affordability: aOR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.07-1.20), while affordability was associated with receipt of OC surgery (aOR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.01-1.15). In models mutually adjusted for availability, affordability, and accessibility, Black patients remained less likely to consult a gynecologic oncologist (aOR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.66-0.97) and receive surgery (aOR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.65-0.99).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this cohort study of Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White patients with OC, HCA affordability and availability were significantly associated with receiving surgery and consulting a gynecologic oncologist. However, these dimensions did not fully explain racial and ethnic disparities.

Racial Disparities in Survival Outcomes of Patients With Serous Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis

OBJECTIVE

To identify racial disparities in five-year survival rates in women affected by serous epithelial ovarian carcinoma in the United States (US).

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from the 2010 to 2016 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program database. Women with a primary malignancy of serous epithelial ovarian carcinoma, using International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICD-O) Topography Coding and ICD-O-3 Histology Coding, were included in this study. Race and ethnicity were combined into the following groups: Non-Hispanic White (NHW), Non-Hispanic Black (NHB), Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander (NHAPI), Non-Hispanic Other (NHO), and Hispanics. Cancer-specific survival was measured at five years post-diagnosis. A comparison of baseline characteristics was assessed using Chi-squared tests. Unadjusted and adjusted Cox regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

From 2010 to 2016, there were 9,630 women with a primary diagnosis of serous ovarian carcinoma identified in the SEER database. A higher proportion of Asian/PI women (90.7%) were diagnosed with high-grade malignancy (poorly differentiated/undifferentiated) compared to NHW women (85.4%). NHB women (9.7%) were less likely to undergo surgery when compared to NHW women (6.7%). Hispanic women had the highest proportion of uninsured women (5.9%), while NHW and NHAPI had the lowest (2.2% each). A higher proportion of NHB (74.2%) and Asian/PI (71.3%) women presented with the distant disease compared to NHW women (70.2%). After adjustment for age, insurance, marital status, stage, metastases, and surgical resection, NHB women had the highest hazard of death within five years compared to NHW women (adjusted (adj) HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.09-1.36, p<0.001). Hispanic women also had lower five-year survival probabilities compared to NHW women (adj HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.12-1.30, p<0.001). Patients undergoing surgery had significantly increased survival probability compared to those who did not (p<0.001). As expected, women with Grade III and Grade IV disease both had significantly lower five-year survival probabilities compared to Grade I (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

This study reveals that there is an association between race and overall survival in patients with serous ovarian carcinoma, with NHB and Hispanic women having the highest hazards of death compared to NHW women. This adds to the existing body of literature as survival outcomes in Hispanic patients relative to NHW patients are not well documented. Because of the potential interplay between overall survival and several factors including race, future studies should aim to investigate other socioeconomic factors that may be impacting survival.

Race, Affordability and Utilization of Supportive Care in Ovarian Cancer Patients

OBJECTIVE

Lack of access to supportive care (SC) among cancer patients have been well documented. However, the role of affordability in this disparity among ovarian cancer (OC) patients remain poorly understood.

METHODS

Patients with OC between 2008 and 2015 were identified from the SEER-Medicare dataset. Racial disparities in utilization of SC medications within the six months of OC diagnosis among patients with Medicare Part D coverage was examined. Multivariable log-binomial regression models were used to examine the associations of race, affordability and SC medications after adjusting for clinical covariates among all patients and separately among patients with advanced-stage disease.

RESULTS

The study cohort included 3697 patients: 86% non-Hispanic White (NHW), 6% non-Hispanic Black (NHB), and 8% Hispanic. In adjusted models, NHB and Hispanic patients were less likely to receive antidepressants compared to NHW patients (NHB: aOR 0.46; 95% CI 0.33-0.63 and Hispanic: aOR 0.79; 95% CI 0.63-0.99). This association persisted for NHB patients with advanced-stage disease (aOR 0.42; 95% CI 0.28-0.62). Patients dual enrolled in Medicaid were more likely to receive antidepressants (overall: aOR 1.34; 95% CI 1.17-1.53 and advanced-stage: aOR 1.29; 95% CI 1.10-1.52). However, patients residing in areas with higher vs. lower proportions of lower educated adults (overall: aOR 0.82; 95% CI 0.70-0.97 and advanced-stage: aOR 0.82; 95% CI 0.68-0.99) were less likely to receive antidepressants.

CONCLUSION

Black OC patients and those living in lower educated areas were less likely to receive antidepressants as SC. Given the importance of post-primary treatment quality of life for cancer patients, interventions are needed to enhance equitable access to SC.

Healthcare Access Dimensions and Guideline-Concordant Ovarian Cancer Treatment: SEER-Medicare Analysis of the ORCHiD Study

BACKGROUND

Racial disparities exist in receipt of guideline-concordant treatment of ovarian cancer (OC). However, few studies have evaluated how various dimensions of healthcare access (HCA) contribute to these disparities.

METHODS

We analyzed data from non-Hispanic (NH)-Black, Hispanic, and NH-White patients with OC diagnosed in 2008 to 2015 from the SEER-Medicare database and defined HCA dimensions as affordability, availability, and accessibility, measured as aggregate scores created with factor analysis. Receipt of guideline-concordant OC surgery and chemotherapy was defined based on the NCCN Guidelines for Ovarian Cancer. Multivariable-adjusted modified Poisson regression models were used to assess the relative risk (RR) for guideline-concordant treatment in relation to HCA.

RESULTS

The study cohort included 5,632 patients: 6% NH-Black, 6% Hispanic, and 88% NH-White. Only 23.8% of NH-White patients received guideline-concordant surgery and the full cycles of chemotherapy versus 14.2% of NH-Black patients. Higher affordability (RR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.08) and availability (RR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02-1.10) were associated with receipt of guideline-concordant surgery, whereas higher affordability was associated with initiation of systemic therapy (hazard ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.05-1.13). After adjusting for all 3 HCA scores and demographic and clinical characteristics, NH-Black patients remained less likely than NH-White patients to initiate systemic therapy (hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.75-0.99).

CONCLUSIONS

Multiple HCA dimensions predict receipt of guideline-concordant treatment but do not fully explain racial disparities among patients with OC. Acceptability and accommodation are 2 additional HCA dimensions which may be critical to addressing these disparities.

Association between time to diagnosis, time to treatment, and ovarian cancer survival in the United States

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate the association between time to diagnosis and treatment of advanced ovarian cancer with overall and ovarian cancer specific mortality using a retrospective cross sectional study of a population based cancer registry database.

METHODS

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database was searched from 1992 to 2015 for women aged ≥66 years with epithelial ovarian cancer and abdominal/pelvic pain, bloating, difficulty eating, or urinary symptoms within 1 year of cancer diagnosis. Time from presentation to diagnosis and treatment were evaluated as outcomes and covariables. Cox regression models and adjusted Kaplan-Meier curves evaluated 5 year overall and cancer-specific survival.

RESULTS

Among 13 872 women, better survival was associated with longer time from presentation to diagnosis (overall survival hazard ratio (HR) 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.94 to 0.95; cancer specific survival HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.94 to 0.96) and diagnosis to treatment (overall survival HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.96; cancer specific survival HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.96). There was longer time from presentation to diagnosis in Hispanic women (relative risk (RR) 1.21, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.32) and from diagnosis to treatment in non-Hispanic black women (RR 1.36, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.54), with lower likelihood of survival at 5 years after adjustment for time to diagnosis and treatment among non-Hispanic black women (HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.26) compared with non-Hispanic white women. Gynecologic oncology visit was associated with improved overall (p<0.001) and cancer specific (p<0.001) survival despite a longer time from presentation to treatment (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Longer time to diagnosis and treatment were associated with improved survival, suggesting that tumor specific features are more important prognostic factors than the time interval of workup and treatment. Significant sociodemographic disparities indicate social determinants of health influencing workup and care. Gynecologic oncologist visits were associated with improved survival, highlighting the importance of appropriate referral for suspected ovarian cancer.

Disparities in gynecologic cancer incidence, treatment, and survival: a narrative review of outcomes among black and white women in the United States

For patients diagnosed with ovarian, uterine, or cervical cancer, race impacts expected outcome, with black women suffering worse survival than white women for all three malignancies. Moreover, outcomes for black women have largely worsened since the 1970s. In this narrative review, we first provide an updated summary of the incidence and survival of ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancer, with attention paid to differences between white and black patients. We then offer a theoretical framework detailing how racial disparities in outcomes for each of the gynecologic malignancies can be explained as the sum result of smaller white-black differences in experience of preventive strategies, implementation of screening efforts, early detection of symptomatic disease, and appropriate treatment. Much research has been published regarding racial disparities in each of these domains, and with this review, we seek to curate the relevant literature and present an updated understanding of disparities between black and white women with gynecologic malignancies.

Associations of Healthcare Affordability, Availability, and Accessibility with Quality Treatment Metrics in Patients with Ovarian Cancer

BACKGROUND

Differential access to quality care is associated with racial disparities in ovarian cancer survival. Few studies have examined the association of multiple healthcare access (HCA) dimensions with racial disparities in quality treatment metrics, that is, primary debulking surgery performed by a gynecologic oncologist and initiation of guideline-recommended systemic therapy.

METHODS

We analyzed data for patients with ovarian cancer diagnosed from 2008 to 2015 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database. We defined HCA dimensions as affordability, availability, and accessibility. Modified Poisson regressions with sandwich error estimation were used to estimate the relative risk (RR) for quality treatment.

RESULTS

The study cohort was 7% NH-Black, 6% Hispanic, and 87% NH-White. Overall, 29% of patients received surgery and 68% initiated systemic therapy. After adjusting for clinical variables, NH-Black patients were less likely to receive surgery [RR, 0.83; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.70-0.98]; the observed association was attenuated after adjusting for healthcare affordability, accessibility, and availability (RR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.77-1.08). Dual enrollment in Medicaid and Medicare compared with Medicare only was associated with lower likelihood of receiving surgery (RR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.76-0.97) and systemic therapy (RR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.92-0.97). Receiving treatment at a facility in the highest quartile of ovarian cancer surgical volume was associated with higher likelihood of surgery (RR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.04-1.21).

CONCLUSIONS

Racial differences were observed in ovarian cancer treatment quality and were partly explained by multiple HCA dimensions.

IMPACT

Strategies to mitigate racial disparities in ovarian cancer treatment quality must focus on multiple HCA dimensions. Additional dimensions, acceptability and accommodation, may also be key to addressing disparities.

Racial and ethnic enrollment disparities in clinical trials of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors for gynecologic cancers

OBJECTIVES

Disparities persist in the enrollment of racial/ethnic groups in clinical trials for ovarian cancers. We sought to analyze the enrollment rates of patients by race/ethnicity in phase II/III clinical trials involving poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors for ovarian cancers and compare these to the racial/ethnic prevalence of ovarian cancers in the United States.

METHODS

This study was a retrospective review of clinical trials registered with ClinicalTrials.gov. Studies included evaluated PARP inhibitors for the treatment of ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancers. Enrollment rates for clinical trials were stratified by race/ethnicity and type of cancer. Enrollment fractions (EFs) were calculated using prevalence data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to compare racial/ethnic group enrollment rates to Non-Hispanic (NH) White enrollment rates.

RESULTS

Forty-eight trials were identified, 15 of which met inclusion criteria. The EFs for included trials, were 1.5% for NH-White, 0.47% for NH-Black, 0.33% for Hispanic, and 2.38% for Asian/Pacific Islander. Patients who identified as NH-Black and Hispanic were significantly underrepresented compared to those who identified as NH-White (OR 0.23, 95% CI [0.18-0.29] and OR 0.3, 95% CI [0.25-0.38] respectively, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

NH-Black and Hispanic patients are significantly underrepresented in clinical trials evaluating PARP inhibitors for ovarian cancers compared to NH-White cohorts. Phase II/III trials assessing PARP inhibitors for ovarian cancers do not accurately represent the populations diagnosed with these malignancies. Enrollment strategies are needed to increase diversity in PARP inhibitor clinical trials for women's cancers.

Implicit biases in healthcare: implications and future directions for gynecologic oncology

Health disparities have been found among patients with gynecologic cancers, with the greatest differences arising among groups based on racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic factors. Although there may be multiple social barriers that can influence health disparities, another potential influence may stem from healthcare system factors that unconsciously perpetuate bias toward patients who are racially and socioeconomically disadvantaged. More recent research suggested that providers hold these implicit biases (automatic and unconscious attitudes) for stigmatized populations with cancer, with emerging evidence for patients with gynecologic cancer. These implicit biases may guide providers' communication and medical judgments, which, in turn, may influence the patient's satisfaction with and trust in the provider. This narrative review consolidated the current research on implicit bias in healthcare, with a specific emphasis on oncology professionals, and identified future areas of research for examining and changing implicit biases in the field of gynecologic oncology.

Cytoreductive Surgery (CRS) Combined With Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) for Platinum-Sensitive Recurrence Epithelial Ovarian Cancer With HRR Mutation: A Phase III Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains the leading cause of gynecologic cancer death worldwide due to the high recurrence rate. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is an alternative modality for platinum-sensitive recurrent EOC. The latest studies demonstrate homologous recombination-related (HRR) mutation status increases the sensitivity to platinum-based chemotherapy drugs in EOC. However, the molecular analysis of recurrent EOC patient benefits from HIPEC is unknown. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CRS combined with HIPEC for platinum-sensitive in recurrent EOC with HRR mutation. Methods: This is a phase III randomized controlled clinical trial in patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent EOC. Participants were divided into 2 groups based on the HRR mutation status and randomized to receive CRS + HIPEC. The patients then received periodic chemotherapy and follow-up. Results: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of CRS + HIPEC compared to CRS alone in patients with a platinum-sensitive recurrent EOC stratified for HRD status. We hypothesize that the addition of HIPEC to CRS improves the progression-free survival (PFS) of platinum-sensitive recurrent EOC patients with HRR mutation compared with patients without HRR mutation. Conclusion: Recurrent EOC has a poor prognosis due to implantation and metastasis in the abdominal cavity. Intraperitoneal chemotherapy reduced seeding by removing free tumor cells. HIPEC utilizes physical and biological properties to significantly increase the clearance rate of tumors. Van Driel WJ et al proposed that HIPEC using platinum-based chemotherapy improves the survival of patients with ovarian cancer. HRR mutation, as a common pathogenic mutation in ovarian cancer, has a predictive effect on the platinum sensitivity of ovarian cancer patients. Whether lobaplatin-based HIPEC will play a greater role in ovarian cancer patients with HRR mutations is currently unknown.

Trends in extent of surgical cytoreduction for patients with ovarian cancer

Purpose

To identify patient and hospital characteristics associated with extended surgical cytoreduction in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Methods

A retrospective analysis using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database identified women hospitalized for surgery to remove an ovarian malignancy between 2013 and 2017. Extended cytoreduction (ECR) was defined as surgery involving the bowel, liver, diaphragm, bladder, stomach, or spleen. Chi-square and logistic regression were used to analyze patient and hospital demographics related to ECR, and trends were assessed using the Cochran-Armitage test.

Results

Of the estimated 79,400 patients undergoing ovarian cancer surgery, 22% received ECR. Decreased adjusted odds of ECR were found in patients with lower Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI) scores (OR 0.61, p<0.001 for ECI 2, versus ECI≥3) or residence outside the top income quartile (OR 0.71, p<0.001 for Q1, versus Q4), and increased odds were seen at hospitals with high ovarian cancer surgical volume (OR 1.25, p<0.001, versus low volume). From 2013 to 2017, there was a decrease in the proportion of cases with extended procedures (19% to 15%, p<0.001). There were significant decreases in the proportion of cases with small bowel, colon, and rectosigmoid resections (p<0.001). Patients who underwent ECR were more likely treated at a high surgical volume hospital (37% vs 31%, p<0.001) over the study period. For their hospital admission, patients who underwent ECR had increased mortality (1.6% vs. 0.5%, p<0.001), length of stay (9.6 days vs. 5.2 days, p<0.001), and mean cost ($32,132 vs. $17,363, p<0.001).

Conclusions

Likelihood of ECR was associated with increased medical comorbidity complexity, higher income, and undergoing the procedure at high surgical volume hospitals. The proportion of ovarian cancer cases with ECR has decreased from 2013–17, with more cases performed at high surgical volume hospitals.

Improving the quality of care for patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer: Program components, implementation barriers, and recommendations

The high lethality of ovarian cancer in the United States and associated complexities of the patient journey across the cancer care continuum warrant an assessment of current practices and barriers to quality care in the United States. The objectives of this study were to identify and assess key components in the provision of high‐quality care delivery for patients with ovarian cancer, identify challenges in the implementation of best practices, and develop corresponding quality‐related recommendations to guide multidisciplinary ovarian cancer programs and practices. This multiphase ovarian cancer quality‐care initiative was guided by a multidisciplinary expert steering committee, including gynecologic oncologists, pathologists, a genetic counselor, a nurse navigator, social workers, and cancer center administrators. Key partnerships were also established. A collaborative approach was adopted to develop comprehensive recommendations by identifying ideal quality‐of‐care program components in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer management. The core program components included: care coordination and patient education, prevention and screening, diagnosis and initial management, treatment planning, disease surveillance, equity in care, and quality of life. Quality‐directed recommendations were developed across 7 core program components, with a focus on ensuring high‐quality ovarian cancer care delivery for patients through improved patient education and engagement by addressing unmet medical and supportive care needs. Implementation challenges were described, and key recommendations to overcome barriers were provided. The recommendations emerging from this initiative can serve as a comprehensive resource guide for multidisciplinary cancer practices, providers, and other stakeholders working to provide quality‐directed cancer care for patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer and their families.

Quality‐directed recommendations for ovarian cancer care delivery are developed across 7 core program components, with a focus on ensuring high‐quality care delivery by addressing unmet medical and supportive care needs. These recommendations can serve as a comprehensive resource guide for multidisciplinary cancer practices, providers, and other stakeholders working to provide quality‐directed cancer care for patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer and their families.

Disparities in the Management of Peritoneal Surface Malignancies

Peritoneal surface malignancies are a group of aggressive cancers involving the peritoneum. Cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy can improve outcomes and survival in select patients. Despite significant advancements in care, racial disparities in peritoneal malignancy outcomes persist and may have even worsened over time. Poor adherence to guideline-recommended therapy introduces wide variability in patient care and often results in fewer options and suboptimal treatment of vulnerable populations. This review explores biological, sociodemographic, and environmental factors that contribute to disparities in peritoneal malignancy outcomes.

Ovarian Cancer Epidemiology, Healthcare Access and Disparities (ORCHiD): methodology for a population-based study of black, Hispanic and white patients with ovarian cancer

INTRODUCTION

Less than 40% of patients with ovarian cancer (OC) in the USA receive stage-appropriate guideline-adherent surgery and chemotherapy. Black patients with cancer report greater depression, pain and fatigue than white patients. Lack of access to healthcare likely contributes to low treatment rates and racial differences in outcomes. The Ovarian Cancer Epidemiology, Healthcare Access and Disparities study aims to characterise healthcare access (HCA) across five specific dimensions-Availability, Affordability, Accessibility, Accommodation and Acceptability-among black, Hispanic and white patients with OC, evaluate the impact of HCA on quality of treatment, supportive care and survival, and explore biological mechanisms that may contribute to OC disparities.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will use the Surveillance Epidemiology and Ends Results dataset linked with Medicare claims data from 9744 patients with OC ages 65 years and older. We will recruit 1641 patients with OC (413 black, 299 Hispanic and 929 white) from cancer registries in nine US states. We will examine HCA dimensions in relation to three main outcomes: (1) receipt of quality, guideline adherent initial treatment and supportive care, (2) quality of life based on patient-reported outcomes and (3) survival. We will obtain saliva and vaginal microbiome samples to examine prognostic biomarkers. We will use hierarchical regression models to estimate the impact of HCA dimensions across patient, neighbourhood, provider and hospital levels, with random effects to account for clustering. Multilevel structural equation models will estimate the total, direct and indirect effects of race on treatment mediated through HCA dimensions.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Result dissemination will occur through presentations at national meetings and in collaboration with collaborators, community partners and colleagues across othercancer centres. We will disclose findings to key stakeholders, including scientists, providers and community members. This study has been approved by the Duke Institutional Review Board (Pro00101872). Safety considerations include protection of patient privacy. All disseminated data will be deidentified and summarised.

Adherence to clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for the treatment of cancers in Australia and the factors associated with adherence: a systematic review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) synthesise the latest evidence to support clinical and patient decision-making. CPG adherent care is associated with improved patient survival outcomes; however, adherence rates are low across some cancer streams in Australia. Greater understanding of specific barriers to cancer treatment CPG adherence is warranted to inform future implementation strategies.This paper presents the protocol for a systematic review that aims to determine cancer treatment CPG adherence rates in Australia across a variety of common cancers, and to identify any factors associated with adherence to those CPGs, as well as any associations between CPG adherence and patient outcomes.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Five databases will be searched, Ovid Medline, PsychInfo, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science, for eligible studies evaluating adherence rates to cancer treatment CPGs in Australia. A team of reviewers will screen the abstracts in pairs according to predetermined inclusion criteria and then review the full text of eligible studies. All included studies will be assessed for quality and risk of bias. Data will be extracted using a predefined data extraction template. The frequency or rate of adherence to CPGs, factors associated with adherence to those CPGs and any reported patient outcome rates (eg, relative risk ratios or 5-year survival rates) associated with adherence to CPGs will be described. If applicable, a pooled estimate of the rate of adherence will be calculated by conducting a random-effects meta-analysis. The systematic review will adhere to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval will not be required, as this review will present anonymised data from other published studies. Results from this study will form part of a doctoral dissertation (MB), will be published in a journal, presented at conferences, and other academic presentations.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020222962.

How do age and social environment affect the dynamics of death hazard and survival in patients with breast or gynecological cancer in France?

Several studies have investigated the association between net survival (NS) and social inequalities in people with cancer, highlighting a varying influence of deprivation depending on the type of cancer studied. However, few of these studies have accounted for the effect of social inequalities over the follow-up period, and/or according to the age of the patients. Thus, using recent and more relevant statistical models, we investigated the effect of social environment on NS in women with breast or gynecological cancer in France. The data were derived from population-based cancer registries, and women diagnosed with breast or gynecological cancer between 2006 and 2009 were included. We used the European deprivation index (EDI), an aggregated index, to define the social environment of the women included. Multidimensional penalized splines were used to model excess mortality hazard. We observed a significant effect of the EDI on NS in women with breast cancer throughout the follow-up period, and especially at 1.5 years of follow-up in women with cervical cancer. Regarding corpus uteri and ovarian cancer patients, the effect of deprivation on NS was less pronounced. These results highlight the impact of social environment on NS in women with breast or gynecological cancer in France thanks to a relevant statistical approach, and identify the follow-up periods during which the social environment may have a particular influence. These findings could help investigate targeted actions for each cancer type, particularly in the most deprived areas, at the time of diagnosis and during follow-up.

Factors impacting the time to ovarian cancer diagnosis based on classic symptom presentation in the United States

BACKGROUND

Patients with ovarian cancer often present with late-stage disease and nonspecific symptoms, but little is known about factors affecting the time to diagnosis (TTD) in the United States.

METHODS

A retrospective, population-based study of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database was conducted. It included women 66 years old or older with stage II to IV epithelial ovarian cancer with at least 1 code for abdominal/pelvic pain, bloating, difficulty eating, or urinary symptoms within 1 year of the cancer diagnosis. TTD was defined from the first claim with a prespecified symptom to the ovarian cancer diagnosis. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to assess for differences in TTD by group medians. Univariate and generalized linear models with a log-link function evaluated TTD by covariables.

RESULTS

For the 13,872 women analyzed, the mean and median times to diagnosis were 2.9 and 1.1 months, respectively. The median TTD differed significantly by first symptom (P < .001), number of symptoms (P < .001), and first physician specialty seen (P < .001). In a multivariable analysis, TTD differed significantly according to race/ethnicity (P < .001), geographic region (P = .001), urban-rural location (P = .031), emergency room presentation (P < .001), and number of specialties seen (P < .001). A shorter TTD was associated with a diagnosis in 2006-2010 (relative risk [RR], 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.87-0.98) or 2011-2015 (RR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.81-0.93) in comparison with 1992-1999.

CONCLUSIONS

The time from a symptomatic presentation to care to a diagnosis of ovarian cancer is influenced by clinical and demographic variables. This study's findings reinforce the importance of educating all physicians on ovarian cancer symptoms to aid in diagnosis.

LAY SUMMARY

Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed once disease has spread because the classic symptoms of ovarian cancer-abdominal or pelvic pain, bloating, difficulty eating, and urinary issues-can be mistaken for other problems. This study examined the time between when women with classic ovarian cancer symptoms went to a physician and when they received a cancer diagnosis in a large database population. The authors found that the time to diagnosis differed according to the type and number of symptoms and what type of physician a woman saw as well as factors such as race, geographic location, and year of diagnosis.

Racial-Ethnic Comparison of Guideline-Adherent Gynecologic Cancer Care in an Equal-Access System

OBJECTIVE

To compare receipt of National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guideline-adherent treatment for gynecologic cancers, inclusive of uterine, cervical, and ovarian cancer, between non-Hispanic White women and racial-ethnic minority women in the equal-access Military Health System.

METHODS

We accessed MilCanEpi, which links data from the Department of Defense Central Cancer Registry and Military Health System Data Repository administrative claims data, to identify a cohort of women aged 18-79 years who were diagnosed with uterine, cervical, or ovarian cancer between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2014. Information on tumor stage, grade, and histology was used to determine which treatment(s) (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy) was indicated for each patient according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines during the period of the data (1998-2014). We compared non-Hispanic Black, Asian, and Hispanic women with non-Hispanic White women in their likelihood to receive guideline-adherent treatment using multivariable logistic regression models given as adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% CIs.

RESULTS

The study included 3,354 women diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer of whom 68.7% were non-Hispanic White, 15.6% Asian, 9.0% non-Hispanic Black, and 6.7% Hispanic. Overall, 77.8% of patients received guideline-adherent treatment (79.1% non-Hispanic White, 75.9% Asian, 69.3% non-Hispanic Black, and 80.5% Hispanic). Guideline-adherent treatment was similar in Asian compared with non-Hispanic White patients (aOR 1.18, 95% CI 0.84-1.48) or Hispanic compared with non-Hispanic White women (aOR 1.30, 95% CI 0.86-1.96). Non-Hispanic Black patients were marginally less likely to receive guideline-adherent treatment compared with non-Hispanic White women (aOR 0.73, 95% CI 0.53-1.00, P=.011) and significantly less likely to receive guideline-adherent treatment than either Asian (aOR 0.65, 95% CI 0.44-0.97) or Hispanic patients (aOR 0.56, 95% CI 0.34-0.92).

CONCLUSION

Racial-ethnic differences in guideline-adherent care among patients in the equal-access Military Health System suggest factors other than access to care contributed to the observed disparities.

Association Between Race/Ethnicity and Survival in Women With Advanced Ovarian Cancer

Introduction

Ovarian cancer is the fifth-leading cause of cancer-related mortality in US women. There are survival disparities between non-Hispanic black (NHB) and non-Hispanic white (NHW) women. We assessed if insurance status or extent of disease modified the effect of race/ethnicity on survival for ovarian cancer.

Methods

A historical cohort was assembled using the 2007-2015 National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) dataset. Adult NHB and NHW (>18 years) diagnosed with regional and distant ovarian cancer were included. The outcome was five-year cause-specific mortality. Multivariable Cox regression models were fitted, including race by the extent of disease and race by insurance status interaction terms.

Results

For each significant interaction, separate Cox models were fitted. In total 8,043 women were included. The insurance status/race interaction was not statistically significant, but the extent of disease modified the effect of race on survival. NHB survival was lower in regional disease (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) =1.6; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-2.4), while there was no difference in survival between women with distant disease (adjusted HR =1.0; 95%CI 0.9-1.2).

Conclusions

Ovarian cancer mortality is similar between NHB and NHW women with the distant disease but higher in NHB women with regional disease. Further research should clarify whether this difference is due to access to quality cancer treatment or other factors affecting treatment response.

Racial-Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Guideline-Adherent Treatment for Endometrial Cancer

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association of race-ethnicity and neighborhood socioeconomic status with adherence to National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for endometrial carcinoma.

METHODS

Data are from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) cancer registry of women diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma for the years 2006-2015. The sample included 83,883 women after inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, univariate, and multivariate logistic regression models were performed to evaluate the association between race-ethnicity and neighborhood socioeconomic status with adherence to treatment guidelines.

RESULTS

After controlling for demographic and clinical covariates, Black (odds ratio [OR] 0.89, P<.001), Latina (OR .92, P<.001), and American Indian or Alaska Native (OR 0.82, P=.034) women had lower odds of receiving adherent treatment and Asian (OR 1.14, P<.001) and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (OR 1.19 P=.012) women had higher odds of receiving adherent treatment compared with White women. After controlling for covariates, there was a gradient by neighborhood socioeconomic status: women in the high-middle (OR 0.89, P<.001), middle (OR 0.84, P<.001), low-middle (OR 0.80, P<.001), and lowest (OR 0.73, P<.001) neighborhood socioeconomic status categories had lower odds of receiving adherent treatment than the those in the highest neighborhood socioeconomic status group.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this study suggest there are racial-ethnic and neighborhood socioeconomic disparities in National Comprehensive Cancer Network treatment adherence for endometrial cancer. Standard treatment therapies should not differ based on sociodemographics. Interventions are needed to ensure that equitable cancer treatment practices are available for all individuals, regardless of racial-ethnic or socioeconomic background.

Assessing Inequities in Cervical Cancer Quality of Care and Survival Related to Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Factors

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the effect that race and socioeconomic factors have on the provision of care to cervical cancer patients based on National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommended treatment guidelines.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To do this, we completed a retrospective cohort study using the American College of Surgeon's Nation Cancer Database from 2004 to 2016. We identified all reported cases of cervical cancer in that period. Two cohorts were created using self-reported racial demographic data, Hispanic- and White, non-Hispanic-identified patients. Our primary outcome variables were adherence to NCCN-recommended treatment and 5-year overall survival. Adherence to NCCN-recommended treatment was determined by the provision of surgical and/or radiation and/or chemotherapy treatment based on the clinical stage at time of diagnosis and the presence or absence of lymphovascular space invasion. We used bivariate analyses to compare baseline characteristics between the 2 cohorts, multivariable logistic regression to identify independent predictors of 5-year survival, and Cox proportional hazards models to compute survival by group.

RESULTS

The difference in NCCN-adherent care between the 2 cohorts was found to be not statistically significant (p = .880). A log rank (Mantel-Cox) χ2 test showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups in overall survival with the Hispanic-identified patients living longer (p < .001). Our study is limited by the effect large databases confer on finding statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

Hispanic-identified women with cervical cancer receive NCCN-compliant care and live longer than their White, non-Hispanic counterparts.

Differences in Sociodemographic Disparities Between Patients Undergoing Surgery for Advanced Colorectal or Ovarian Cancer

BACKGROUND

Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) for ovarian cancer with peritoneal metastases (OPM) is an established treatment, yet access-related racial and socioeconomic disparities are well documented. CRS for colorectal cancer with peritoneal metastases (CRPM) is garnering more widespread acceptance, and it is unknown what disparities exist with regards to access.

METHODS

This retrospective cross-sectional multicenter study analyzed medical records from the National Cancer Database from 2010 to 2015. Patients diagnosed with CRPM or ORP only and either no or confirmed resection were included. Patient- and facility-level characteristics were analyzed using uni- and multivariable logistic regressions to identify associations with receipt of CRS.

RESULTS

A total of 6634 patients diagnosed with CRPM and 14,474 diagnosed with OPM were included in this study. Among patients with CRPM, 18.1% underwent CRS. On multivariable analysis, female gender (odds ratio [95% CI] 2.04 [1.77-2.35]; P < 0.001) and treatment at an academic or research facility (OR 1.55 [1.17-2.05]; P = 0.002) were associated with CRS. Among patients with OPM, 87.1% underwent CRS. On multivariable analysis, treatment at facilities with higher-income patient populations was positively associated with CRS, while age (OR 0.97 [0.96-0.98]; P < .0001), use of nonprivate insurance (OR 0.69 [0.56-0.85]; P = 0.001), and listed as Black (OR 0.62 [0.45-0.86]; P = 0.004) were negatively associated with CRS.

CONCLUSION

There were more systemic barriers to CRS for patients with OPM than for patients with CRPM. As CRS becomes more widely practiced for CRPM, it is likely that more socioeconomic and demographic barriers will be elucidated.

Guideline-adherent treatment, sociodemographic disparities, and cause-specific survival for endometrial carcinomas

BACKGROUND

Adherence to National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines have been adopted as the standard of care for various cancers and have been cited to have survival benefits. Few studies have examined the association of adherent treatment and endometrial cancer survival among various racial/ethnic groups and socioeconomic statuses.

METHODS

Between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2015, 83,673 women diagnosed with endometrial carcinomas were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Descriptive statistics of demographic and clinical characteristics were performed. Cox-proportional hazards models were used to examine the effect on cause-specific survival for adherence to guidelines across racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups.

RESULTS

Within our sample, 59.5% were treated according to guidelines. Nonadherence to treatment guidelines was significantly associated with decreased survival compared with adherent care (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.59; 95% CI, 1.52-1.67). Being of Black (adjusted HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.32-1.51) or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (adjusted HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.19-1.73) race/ethnicity compared with White women was significantly associated with worse survival. Being of Asian race/ethnicity (adjusted HR, 0.86, 95% CI, 0.78-0.94) was significantly associated with improved survival compared with White women. Lower neighborhood socioeconomic status was associated with a negative effect on survival relative to women in the highest socioeconomic status category.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this study suggest treatment adherence is an independent predictor of improved survival; however, improved survival was not observed equally among all racial/ethnic and socioeconomic status groups.

LAY SUMMARY

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has developed guidelines for physicians to follow in treating various cancers. Within this study of 83,673 women with endometrial cancer, 59.5% of women were treated according to the NCCN guidelines. The findings suggest following NCCN guidelines for treatment of endometrial cancer improves survival. Black or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander race and lower neighborhood socioeconomic status has worse survival rates compared with other groups, indicating the importance of exploring other factors that may shape treatment across racial/ethnic and socioeconomic status groups.

Prognostic impact of socioeconomic status on long-term survival of non-localized epithelial ovarian cancer ꟷ The Extreme study

OBJECTIVE

To examine the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on long-term survival of non-localized ovarian cancer.

METHODS

All women in Denmark with a first diagnosis of non-localized epithelial ovarian cancer 1982-2007 were identified in the Cancer Registry and/or the Pathology Registry and followed up until December 2017. The survival probability was estimated after respectively 5 and 10 years, using so-called pseudo observations, and analyzed according to education, income, and marital status defined from nationwide registries.

RESULTS

The study cohort included 6486 women, and the estimated 5- and 10-year survival probabilities were 21.4% and 12.7%, respectively. Compared to women with short education, the 5-year survival probability was 7% higher for women with medium (relative survival probability = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.97, 1.19) and long education (relative survival probability = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.93, 1.24). Compared with married women, the 5-year survival probability for divorced women/widower was slightly lower (0.85, 95% CI: 0.69, 1.04) and for unmarried women slightly higher (1.08, 95% CI: 0.94, 1.23). Finally, the probability of being alive 5 years after diagnosis was 1.09 times higher (95% CI: 0.95, 1.24) for medium-income women and 1.23 times higher (95% CI: 1.08, 1.41) for high-income women compared with low-income women. Similar patterns were observed for 10-year survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Non-localized ovarian cancer patients have a poor prognosis. Our data suggest that among Danish women with advanced ovarian cancer, higher personal income is associated with slightly higher probability of long-term survival, whereas education and marital status did not affect the probability of long-term survival.

Adherence to treatment guidelines as a major determinant of survival disparities between black and white patients with ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether non-adherence to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) treatment guidelines and other factors related to treatment access contribute to racial disparities in ovarian cancer survival.

METHODS

This large cohort study included patients from the National Cancer Database who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer between 2004 and 2014, with follow-up data up to 2017. The multivariable Cox regression was used to assess the effect of study variables on five-year overall survival. The proportion contributions of prognostic factors to the survival disparities were estimated using individual and sequential adjustment of these factors based on the Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

Of the 120,712 patients eligible for this study, 110,032 (91.1%) were whites and 10,680 (8.9%) were blacks. Black patients, compared with their white counterparts, had a lower adherence to NCCN guidelines (60.8% vs. 70.4%, respectively, P < 0.001), and a higher five-year mortality after cancer diagnosis (age- and tumor characteristics- adjusted hazard ratio: 1.22, 95% confidence interval: 1.19-1.25). Non-adherence to NCCN treatment guidelines was the most significant contributor to racial disparity in ovarian cancer survival, followed by access to care and comorbidity, each explaining 36.4%, 22.7%, and 18.2% of the racial differences in five-year overall survival, respectively. These factors combined explain 59.1% of racial survival disparities. Risk factors identified for non-adherence to treatment guidelines among blacks include insurance status, treatment facility type, educational attainment, age, and comorbidity.

CONCLUSIONS

Adherence status to NCCN treatment guidelines is the most important contributor to the survival disparities between black and white patients with ovarian cancer. Our findings call for measures to promote equitable access to guideline-adherence care to improve the survival of black women with ovarian cancer.

The role of income disparities on survival in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma in the targeted therapy era

PURPOSE

The influence of socioeconomic status on metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in the target therapy era is still unknown. This study aimed to assess the role of income disparities on prognosis of mRCC in the targeted therapy era.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data of patients with mRCC were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Median household income (MHI) was used to represent patients' socioeconomic status, and its role on overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) was evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 3791 patients with clear cell mRCC diagnosed between 2010 and 2015 were enrolled in cohort one. There was an obvious imbalance of race and insurance status in patients with difference MHI. Compared with patients in the poorest quartile 1 (Q1), those in the wealthiest Q4 had a 4-month prolonged OS (P < 0.01) and a 5-month prolonged CSS (P < 0.01), and those in Q3 and Q4 had significantly lower death risk. High income decreased cumulative cancer-specific mortality rates, and potentially favored survival in most subgroups. 6619 patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2015 were included in cohort two. We found that only those with Q4 income achieved a prolonged survival with statistical significance by comparing between patients diagnosed in 2004-2009 and 2010-2015.

CONCLUSION

In the targeted therapy era, there were survival gaps of mRCC between patients with low- and high-income. Measures should be taken to develop a comprehensive and financially sustainable plan of cancer treatment for greater equity.

Risks of Second Primary Gynecologic Cancers following Ovarian Cancer Treatment in Asian Ethnic Subgroups in the United States, 2000-2016

BACKGROUND

The differential occurrence of second primary cancers by race following ovarian cancer is poorly understood. Our objective was to determine the incidence of second primary gynecologic cancers (SPGC) following definitive therapy for ovarian cancer. Specifically, we aimed to determine differences in SPGC incidence by Asian ethnic subgroups.

METHODS

We identified 27,602 women ages 20 years and older and diagnosed with first primary epithelial ovarian cancer between 2000 and 2016 who received surgery and chemotherapy in 18 population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program registries. We compared the incidence of SPGC with expected incidence rates in the general population of women using estimated standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

The incidence of SPGC was lower among White women (SIR = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.59-0.89), and higher among Black (SIR = 1.80; 95% CI, 0.96-3.08) and Asian/Pacific Islander (API) women (SIR = 1.83; 95% CI, 1.07-2.93). Increased risk of vaginal cancers was observed among all women, although risk estimates were highest among API women (SIR = 26.76; 95% CI, 5.52-78.2) and were also significant for risk of uterine cancers (SIR = 2.53; 95% CI, 1.35-4.33). Among API women, only Filipinas had significantly increased incidence of SPGC overall including both uterine and vaginal cancers.

CONCLUSIONS

Risk of SPGC following treatment of ovarian cancer differs by race and ethnicity, with Filipina women having the highest rates of second gynecologic cancers among Asian women.

IMPACT

Ensuring access and adherence to surveillance may mitigate ethnic differences in the early detection and incidence of second gynecologic cancers.

Impact of quality of care on racial disparities in survival for endometrial cancer

BACKGROUND

Black women experience poorer survival compared with white women across all endometrial cancer stages and histologies. The incidence of endometrial cancer is 30% lower in black women compared with white women, yet mortality is 80% higher in black women. Differences in adherence to evidence-based guidelines have been proposed to be major contributors to this disparity.

OBJECTIVES

We examined whether adherence to evidence-based treatment recommendations for endometrial cancer could mitigate survival disparities between black and white women.

STUDY DESIGN

The National Cancer Database was used to identify women with endometrial cancer treated from 2004 through 2016. We established 5 evidence-based quality metrics based on review of primary literature and accepted guidelines: surgical treatment within 6 weeks of diagnosis (Q1), use of minimally invasive surgery (stage I-IIIC; Q2), pelvic nodal assessment (high-risk tumors; Q3), adjuvant radiation (high intermediate risk; Q4), and systemic chemotherapy (stage III-IV; Q5). The rates of 30 and 90 day mortality and 5 year survival were compared between black and white women. To determine the influence of quality on outcomes, we compared outcomes among perfectly adherent black and white women with stage I and III endometrial cancer.

RESULTS

We identified 310,208 women including 35,035 (11.3%) black women and 275,173 (88.3%) white women. Black women were less likely than white women to receive Q1 (65.8 vs 75.6%), Q2 (58.5 vs 72.9%), Q3 (71.3 vs 74.2%), and Q5 (72.7 vs 73.2%) (P < .05 for all). Adherence to each quality metrics was associated with improved survival. Among women with stage I disease, perfect adherence to the relative quality metrics was seen in 53.1% of white and 41.5% of black women. Among perfectly adherent stage I patients, outcomes in black women improved relative to unselected black women; however, they still experienced higher risk of 30 day (adjusted relative risk, 2.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.30-3.90), 90 day (adjusted relative risk, 1.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.23-2.76), and 5 year mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.26-1.59) compared with similar white women. Among women with stage III tumors, perfect adherence to the relative quality metrics was seen in 56.6% of white and 44.1% of black women. Perfectly adherent black women with stage III disease had improved outcomes but remained at increased risk of 30 day (adjusted relative risk, 1.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-3.44) and 5 year mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-1.50) compared with white women.

CONCLUSION

Black women are less likely than white women with endometrial cancer to receive evidence-based care. However, receipt of evidence-based care mitigates but does not eliminate racial disparities in outcomes and black women remain at greater risk of death from endometrial cancer.

PARP Inhibitors in the Management of Ovarian Cancer: ASCO Guideline

PURPOSE

To provide recommendations on the use of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis) for management of epithelial ovarian, tubal, or primary peritoneal cancer (EOC).

METHODS

Randomized, controlled, and open-labeled trials published from 2011 through 2020 were identified in a literature search. Guideline recommendations were based on the review of the evidence, US Food and Drug Administration approvals, and consensus when evidence was lacking.

RESULTS

The systematic review identified 17 eligible trials.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The guideline pertains to patients who are PARPi naïve. All patients with newly diagnosed, stage III-IV EOC whose disease is in complete or partial response to first-line, platinum-based chemotherapy with high-grade serous or endometrioid EOC should be offered PARPi maintenance therapy with niraparib. For patients with germline or somatic pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in BRCA1 (g/sBRCA1) or BRCA2 (g/sBRCA2) genes should be treated with olaparib. The addition of olaparib to bevacizumab may be offered to patients with stage III-IV EOC with g/sBRCA1/2 and/or genomic instability and a partial or complete response to chemotherapy plus bevacizumab combination. Maintenance therapy (second line or more) with single-agent PARPi may be offered for patients with EOC who have not received a PARPi and have responded to platinum-based therapy regardless of BRCA mutation status. Treatment with a PARPi should be offered to patients with recurrent EOC that has not recurred within 6 months of platinum-based therapy, who have not received a PARPi and have a g/sBRCA1/2, or whose tumor demonstrates genomic instability. PARPis are not recommended for use in combination with chemotherapy, other targeted agents, or immune-oncology agents in the recurrent setting outside the context of a clinical trial. Recommendations for managing specific adverse events are presented. Data to support reuse of PARPis in any setting are needed.Additional information is available at www.asco.org/gynecologic-cancer-guidelines.

Contribution of Geographic Location to Disparities in Ovarian Cancer Treatment

BACKGROUND

More than 14,000 women in the United States die of ovarian cancer (OC) every year. Disparities in survival have been observed by race and socioeconomic status (SES), and vary spatially even after adjusting for treatment received. This study aimed to determine the impact of geographic location on receiving treatment adherent to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for OC, independent of other predictors.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Women diagnosed with all stages of epithelial OC (1996-2014) were identified through the California Cancer Registry. Generalized additive models, smoothing for residential location, were used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for receiving nonadherent care throughout California. We assessed the impact of distance traveled for care, distance to closest high-quality hospital, race/ethnicity, and SES on receipt of quality care, adjusting for demographic and cancer characteristics and stratifying by disease stage.

RESULTS

Of 29,844 patients with OC, 11,419 (38.3%) received guideline-adherent care. ORs for nonadherent care were lower in northern California and higher in Kern and Los Angeles counties. Magnitudes of associations with location varied by stage (OR range, 0.45-2.19). Living farther from a high-quality hospital increased the odds of receiving nonadherent care (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.07-1.29), but travel >32 km to receive care was associated with decreased odds (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.70-0.84). American Indian/other women were more likely to travel greater distances to receive care. Women in the highest SES quintile, those with Medicare insurance, and women of non-Hispanic black race were less likely to travel far. Patients who were Asian/Pacific Islander lived the closest to a high-quality hospital.

CONCLUSIONS

Among California women diagnosed with OC, living closer to a high-quality center was associated with receiving adherent care. Non-Hispanic black women were less likely to receive adherent care, and women with lower SES lived farthest from high-quality hospitals. Geographic location in California is an independent predictor of adherence to NCCN Guidelines for OC.

Association of the Affordable Care Act With Ovarian Cancer Care

OBJECTIVE

To estimate how implementation of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) might be associated with stage at diagnosis and time to treatment for women with ovarian cancer.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using difference-in-differences analysis comparing stage at diagnosis and time to treatment before and after implementation of the ACA among women with ovarian cancer aged 21-64 years (exposure group) compared with women aged 65 years or older (control group). Using 2004-2015 data from the National Cancer Database, outcomes were analyzed overall and by insurance type and race, adjusting for urban-rural, income and education level, comorbidities, distance traveled for care, region, and care at an academic center.

RESULTS

A total of 39,999 ovarian cancer cases prereform and 36,564 postreform were identified for women aged 21-64 years compared with 31,290 cases prereform and 29,807 postreform for women aged 65 years or older. The ACA was associated with increased early-stage diagnosis detection for women aged 21-64 years compared with women 65 and older (difference-in-differences 1.4%, 95% CI 0.4-2.4). The ACA was associated with more women receiving treatment within 30 days of ovarian cancer diagnosis (2.3%, 95% CI 1.7-3.0). Among women with public insurance, the ACA was associated with a significant improvement in early-stage diagnosis and receipt of treatment within 30 days of diagnosis (difference-in-differences 2.7%, 95% CI 1.0-4.5, difference-in-differences 2.5%, 95% CI 1.2-3.8). Improvements in time to treatment were seen across race and income groups.

CONCLUSION

Implementation of the ACA was associated with earlier ovarian cancer stage at detection and treatment within 30 days of diagnosis.

A Risk-Adjusted Model for Ovarian Cancer Care and Disparities in Access to High-Performing Hospitals

Ovarian cancer care at a high-performing hospital is an independent predictor of improved survival, and barriers to access disproportionately affect patients according to sociodemographic characteristics.

OBJECTIVE:

To validate the observed/expected ratio for adherence to ovarian cancer treatment guidelines as a risk-adjusted measure of hospital quality care, and to identify patient characteristics associated with disparities in access to high-performing hospitals.

METHODS:

This was a retrospective population-based study of stage I–IV invasive epithelial ovarian cancer reported to the California Cancer Registry between 1996 and 2014. A fit logistic regression model, which was risk-adjusted for patient and disease characteristics, was used to calculate the observed/expected ratio for each hospital, stratified by hospital annual case volume. A Cox proportional hazards model was used for survival analyses, and a multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify independent predictors of access to high-performing hospitals.

RESULTS:

The study population included 30,051 patients who were treated at 426 hospitals: low observed/expected ratio (n=304) 23.5% of cases; intermediate observed/expected ratio (n=92) 57.8% of cases; and high observed/expected ratio (n=30) 18.7% of cases. Hospitals with high observed/expected ratios were significantly more likely to deliver guideline-adherent care (53.3%), compared with hospitals with intermediate (37.8%) and low (27.5%) observed/expected ratios (P<.001). Median disease-specific survival time ranged from 73.0 months for hospitals with high observed/expected ratios to 48.1 months for hospitals with low observed/expected ratios (P<.001). Treatment at a hospital with a high observed/expected ratio was an independent predictor of superior survival compared with hospitals with intermediate (hazard ratio [HR] 1.06, 95% CI 1.01–1.11, P<.05) and low (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.04–1.16, P<.001) observed/expected ratios. Being of Hispanic ethnicity (odds ratio [OR] 0.85, 95% CI 0.78–0.93, P<.001, compared with white), having Medicare insurance (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.68–0.81 P<.001, compared with managed care), having a Charlson Comorbidity Index score of 2 or greater (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.83–0.99, P<.05), and being of lower socioeconomic status (lowest quintile OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.36–0.46, P<.001, compared with highest quintile) were independent negative predictors of access to a hospital with a high observed/expected ratio.

CONCLUSION:

Ovarian cancer care at a hospital with a high observed/expected ratio is an independent predictor of improved survival. Barriers to high-performing hospitals disproportionately affect patients according to sociodemographic characteristics. Triage of patients with suspected ovarian cancer according to a performance-based observed/expected ratio hospital classification is a potential mechanism for expanded access to expert care.

Race and Ethnicity Influence Survival Outcomes in Women of Caribbean Nativity With Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Background: Caribbean immigrants represent one of the largest groups of minorities in the United States (US), yet are understudied. Racial and ethnic disparities among women with ovarian cancer have been reported, but not in immigrant populations. Our objective was to evaluate differences in the clinicopathologic features and survival outcomes of Caribbean-born (CB) immigrants with ovarian cancer, with special focus on the influence of race and ethnicity on these measures.

Methods: A review of the institutional cancer registry was performed to identify women with known nativity treated for epithelial ovarian cancer between 2005 and 2017. Sociodemographic, clinical, and outcomes data were collected. Analyses were done using chi-square, Cox proportional hazards models, and the Kaplan-Meier method, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Results: 529 women were included in the analysis, 248 CB and 281 US-born (USB). CB women were more likely to have residual disease after debulking surgery (31.2 vs. 16.8%, p = 0.009) and be treated at a public facility (62.5 vs. 33.5%, p < 0.001). Black CB women less frequently received chemotherapy compared to White CB women (55.2 vs. 82.2%, p = 0.001). Among all CB women, Hispanic ethnicity was independently associated with improved survival when adjusting for other factors (HR 0.61 [95% CI 0.39–0.95], p = 0.03). White Hispanic CB women had a median overall survival (OS) of 59 months while Black, non-Hispanic CB women had a median OS of 24 months (log-rank p = 0.04).

Conclusion: Among Caribbean-born women with ovarian cancer, Hispanic ethnicity is significantly associated with improved survival outcomes, regardless of race.

Racial/ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer research

Ovarian cancer is one of the most fatal cancers diagnosed in women in the United States (U.S.). Data from national databases, including the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program, show racial/ethnic differences in risk and survival of epithelial ovarian cancer with higher incidence among white women yet worse survival among African-American women compared to other racial/ethnic groups. The reasons for these differences are not well understood, but are likely multi-factorial. Epidemiologic studies suggest there may be some risk factor differences across racial/ethnic groups that would explain differences in the incidence of this rare and heterogeneous disease. Likewise, although data suggest that socioeconomic factors and access to care contribute to the disparity in ovarian cancer survival among African-American women, there are likely other contributing factors that have not as of yet been identified. Small sample sizes of minority women from individual studies do not provide adequate power to evaluate fully the contributions of environmental, genetic, and clinical factors associated with ovarian cancer risk and survival within these groups. Pooling existing data from individual epidemiologic studies has made a valuable contribution; however, new data collection is warranted to further our understanding of the underpinnings of the disparities in ovarian cancer that may lead to prevention and improved survival across all racial/ethnic groups.