One Women In Three Under-Treated For Ovarian Cancer

SEATTLE, April 9 -- One in three American women with ovarian cancer may not get the recommended comprehensive surgical treatment, according to researchers here.
An analysis of hospital data from nine states shows that 66.9% of all women admitted with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer got optimal treatment, reported Barbara Goff, M.D., of the University of Washington, and colleagues, in the May 15 issue of Cancer.
Women who were 71 or older, of African-American race, or Hispanic ethnicity or covered by Medicaid were most likely to be under-treated, Dr. Goff and colleagues said.
On the other hand, the analysis showed, women cared for by surgeons with a high volume of ovarian cancer treatment -- defined as 10 or more cases a year -- were more likely to get appropriate therapy, the researcher said.
The findings bolster the argument that all women with ovarian cancer should be sent to specialist centers for their surgical care, the researchers said.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/OtherCancers/tb1/5407