Ovarian cancer: changes in patterns at diagnosis and relative survival over the last three decades.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of diagnosis and relative survival in women who had a diagnosis of primary invasive epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) from 1973 to 1997, with follow-up through the end of 1999.


METHODS
From the population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program, 32,845 women diagnosed between 1973 and 1997 were used for analysis. The study population was divided in three cohorts based on year of diagnosis and the cohorts were compared with respect to variables of interest by using chi(2) tests and relative survival analysis by the life table method.


RESULTS
There was an increase in the proportions of minorities diagnosed with EOC, of women 60 years or older at diagnosis, and of women undergoing surgery over time. Survival continuously improved over time, although older patients (60 years or older) and African Americans continued to have the poorest survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Over time, relative survival of women who had primary invasive EOC diagnosed improved.
Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine and Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA. jbsloan@med.wayne.edu
Jill S
JS
Barnholtz-Sloan
Ann G
AG
Schwartz
Faisal
F
Qureshi
Suzanne
S
Jacques
John
J
Malone
Adnan R
AR
Munkarah
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality*; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology