National survey of ovarian carcinoma. I. A patient care evaluation study of the American College of Surgeons.
BACKGROUND
The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons recently finished a national survey of patients with ovarian cancer patients. The goal was to compare the patterns of care over a 5-year period.


METHODS
Data were collected from 25 consecutive patients whose disease was diagnosed first at 904 hospitals with cancer programs in 1983 and 1988.


RESULTS
There was a total of 12,316 patients, of whom 80% were 45-85 years old. Contrary to popular belief, only 8.2% of patients were nulliparous; 85% of patients had one to five children. Of significance, 18.2% of patients with ovarian cancer had undergone a previous hysterectomy with ovarian preservation. Primary surgical treatment was used in 94.9% of patients and consisted of: oophorectomy, 81.9%; hysterectomy, 55.1%; and omentectomy, 59.0%. However, only 12-25% of patients had biopsies of the diaphragm, paracolic gutters, colon, small bowel, pelvic and paraaortic lymph nodes, and cul-de-sac to permit adequate surgical staging. The primary surgeons were: gynecologic oncologists, 21%; obstetrician-gynecologists, 45%; general surgeons, 21%; and others, 13%.


CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate that additional resources are needed to improve the care of patients with ovarian cancer.
Averette
H E
HE
Ovarian Cancer Subcommittee, American College of Surgeons, Chicago, Illinois.
Hoskins
W
W
Nguyen
H N
HN
Boike
G
G
Flessa
H C
HC
Chmiel
J S
JS
Zuber
K
K
Karnell
L H
LH
Winchester
D P
DP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010298:Parity; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014481:United States