Patterns of chemotherapy use for women with ovarian cancer: a population-based study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate adherence to published recommendations for chemotherapy for ovarian cancer patients in the general community and to identify factors associated with its use.


METHODS
The study population consisted of 2,150 women residing in Northern California with a first diagnosis of primary epithelial ovarian cancer between January 1994 and December 1996. Patients were identified through the California Cancer Registry and their physicians were surveyed to supplement registry treatment information.


RESULTS
Almost 89% of women younger than 75 years with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage III or IV tumors received chemotherapy, with levels of treatment highest for women diagnosed at stage III. Patients 75 years of age and older were significantly less likely than younger women to receive chemotherapy (58.2% v 86.1%; P =.001) regardless of stage at diagnosis. Approximately 20% of patients younger than 55 years with early-stage (stage IC and II) cancer received no chemotherapy. Treatment in an American College of Surgeons hospital and treatment by a gynecologic oncologist increased the likelihood of receiving chemotherapy. Hospitalization for comorbid illness, race/ethnicity, census-based measures of socioeconomic status, and size or teaching status of hospital were all unrelated to probability of treatment after adjustment for other factors. Reasons reported most frequently by physicians for no treatment were lack of clinical indication and patient refusal.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggest that, despite scientific evidence and published guidelines that advocate chemotherapy for most women with ovarian cancer, some groups of women did not receive optimum treatment.
Cress
Rosemary D
RD
California Cancer Registry and Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of California at Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, USA. rcress@ccr.ca.gov
O'Malley
Cynthia D
CD
Leiserowitz
Gary S
GS
Campleman
Sharon L
SL
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002140:California; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012042:Registries
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents