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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Some women may not be receiving the appropriate care they need to treat ovarian cancer. According to a new study, one in three ovarian cancer patients in the United States fails to receive the recommended comprehensive surgical treatment.
Researchers say the improper care could be due to factors like age, race and socioeconomic status. In data collected from hospitals in nine different states, the study revealed women who were over 70 years old, of African-American or Hispanic race, or insured by Medicaid were at greatest risk of improper treatment for ovarian cancer. Women were also less likely to receive recommended surgical care when treated by non-gynecological oncologists, by surgeons who perform few ovarian cancer surgeries, and at facilities that perform fewer than 10 procedures per year. Women who receive care from a gynecologic oncologist, at a hospital that performs a high volume of ovarian cancer surgeries, or at a teaching hospital have significantly better short-term and long-term outcomes, according to previous research.
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Ovarian cancer takes the lives of more than 14,000 women in the United States every year, making it one of the deadliest malignancies women face. The disease is generally diagnosed at an advanced stage, making survival rates lower. When all of the cancer is extracted, there is a 30 percent to 40 percent chance the patients will survive after five years. When residual disease is still present in the body after surgery, patients stand a 15-percent chance of surviving at least five years.
Few women receive the most advantageous care for ovarian cancer. The study reports only 67 percent of the 10,432 women whose cases they reviewed received the recommended comprehensive surgical procedures. The study recommends all ovarian cancer patients, especially those who are vulnerable because of age, race, or socioeconomic status, be referred to appropriate centers or surgeons to receive optimal treatment.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: CANCER, published online April 9, 2007
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