Racial and socioeconomic disparities in survival among women with advanced-stage ovarian cancer who received systemic therapy.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the association between race/ethnicity and all-cause mortality among women with advanced-stage ovarian cancer who received systemic therapy. METHODS: We analyzed data from the National Cancer Database on women diagnosed with advanced-stage ovarian cancer from 2004 to 2015 who received systemic therapy. Race/ethnicity was categorized as Non-Hispanic (NH) White, NH-Black, Hispanic, NH-Asian/Pacific Islander, and Other. Income and education were combined to form a composite measure of socioeconomic status (SES) and categorized into low-, mid-, and high-SES. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess whether race/ethnicity was associated with the risk of death after adjusting for sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment factors. Additionally, subgroup analyses were conducted by SES, age, and surgery receipt. RESULTS: The study population comprised 53,367 women (52.4% ages ≥ 65 years, 82% NH-White, 8.7% NH-Black, 5.7% Hispanic, and 2.7% NH-Asian/Pacific Islander) in the analysis. After adjusting for covariates, the NH-Black race was associated with a higher risk of death versus NH-White race (aHR: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.07,1.18), while Hispanic ethnicity was associated with a lower risk of death compared to NH-White women (aHR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.80, 0.95). Furthermore, NH-Black women versus NH-White women had an increased risk of mortality among those with low-SES characteristics (aHR:1.12; 95% CI:1.03-1.22) and mid-SES groups (aHR: 1.13; 95% CI:1.05-1.21). CONCLUSIONS: Among women with advanced-stage ovarian cancer who received systemic therapy, NH-Black women experienced poorer survival compared to NH-White women. Future studies should be directed to identify drivers of ovarian cancer disparities, particularly racial differences in treatment response and surveillance.

Nurse-led exercise and cognitive-behavioral care against nurse-led usual care between and after chemotherapy cycles in Han Chinese women of ovarian cancer with moderate to severe levels of cancer-related fatigue: A retrospective analysis of the effectiveness.

ABSTRACT: Women with ovarian cancer are reported to fatigue over time. Moderate to severe levels of cancer-related fatigue is fluent in Han Chinese patients with cancer. Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines are recommending exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy to reduce cancer-related fatigue. Exercise is an easy, cost-effective, and non-pharmacological approach. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of nurse-led exercise and cognitive-behavioral care against nurse-led usual care in Han Chinese women of ovarian cancer regarding cancer-related fatigue, depressive symptoms, and sleep quality.Han Chinese women with moderate to severe levels of cancer-related fatigue have received 30 minutes, 5 times/week nurse-led exercise and 60 min/week cognitive-behavioral care (EC cohort, n = 118) or nurse-led usual care regarding educations and recommendations only (UC cohort, n = 126) or have not received nurse-led exercise, cognitive-behavioral care, educations, and recommendations (NC cohort, n = 145) between and after chemotherapy cycles. The Piper Fatigue Scale, the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaires were evaluated at the start and the end of non-pharmacological treatment.At the end of treatment as compared to the start of treatment, only women of EC cohort had decrease Piper Fatigue Scale (5.40 ±â€Š1.49/woman vs 6.06 ±â€Š1.49/woman, P < .0001, q = 4.973) and Zung Self-rating Depression Scale score (48.67 ±â€Š4.24/woman vs 49.93 ±â€Š4.29/woman, P = .001, q = 3.449). Also, at the end of treatment, as compared to the start of treatment, only women of EC cohort have increased Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score (14.76 ±â€Š2.18/woman vs 13.94 ±â€Š2.90/woman, P = .045, q = 3.523). Only exercise and cognitive-behavioral care were successful in a decrease in the numbers of women with depression (the Mandarin Chinese version of the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale score >53, 32 vs 16, P = .015).Nurse-led exercise and cognitive-behavioral care can help Han Chinese women with ovarian cancer to decrease cancer-related fatigue and depression. Also, it can improve the quality of sleep.Evidence Level: 4.Technical Efficacy: Stage 5.

High frequency of BRAF mutations in primary mucinous ovarian carcinoma of Taiwanese patients.

OBJECTIVE: Considering the clinical evidence of BRAF inhibitors that can treat melanoma patients successfully, we aimed to investigate the status of BRAF mutations of primary mucinous ovarian carcinomas (MOC) in Taiwanese women, and apply the emerging paradigm classification of BRAF mutation groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 20 archived primary MOC samples were analyzed. The BRAF mutations of activation segment (exon 15), CR3 (conserved regions 3), kinase domain of the BRAF gene were analyzed using the highly sensitive BRAF mutant enriched kit (FemtoPath®) with Sanger sequencing method. Additionally, we extended our prior reported data of HER2 aberrations and KRAS mutation into this study in order to compare with the status of BRAF mutation. RESULTS: Of them (n = 20), 16 (80%) harbored BRAF missense mutations. Their mutation profile and case number (n) were categorized as (1) class I: V600E (n=1), V600M (n = 1); (2) class II: A598V (n = 1), T599I (n = 10); (3) class III: none (n = 0); and (4) unclassified variants: S602F (n = 2), T599I/S602F (n = 1). The BRAF S602F is novel. The prevalence of BRAF mutation is significantly higher than either HER2 mutation (80% vs. 35%; p = 0.022) or HER2 amplification (80% vs. 35%; p = 0.022). However, the mutation rates of BRAF and KRAS were not significantly different (80% vs. 60%; p = 0.289). CONCLUSION: Activating BRAF mutation, HER2 amplification, HER2 mutation and KRAS mutation were not mutually exclusive. However, they may even have a synergistic effect in tumorigenesis. BRAF mutation is not uncommon in primary MOC of Taiwanese. The BRAF mutant (T599I) stands the majority. We suggested that there was a lower potential response to the existing V600 BRAF inhibitors, but may be responsive to dual BRAF plus MEK inhibitors or single MEK inhibitor. Further studies are warranted to investigate the clinical benefits of newly targeted therapy in recurrent or advanced stage primary MOC patients carrying different classes of BRAF mutation.

Disparities in ovarian cancer treatment and overall survival according to race: An update.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether guideline non-adherence is associated with Black race. METHODS: A retrospective review of National Cancer Database records of women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer from 2012 to 2016 who identified as "White" or "Black" was performed. Exposure was adherence or non-adherence to National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for treatment. Outcomes were differences in disease characteristics and overall survival in months. RESULTS: Of the 29,948 eligible patients, 93% (n = 27,744) were White and 7% (n = 2204) were Black. Having stage IV disease (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.23-1.70; P < 0.001) and treatment in a comprehensive (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.16-2.15; P = 0.0039) or academic (OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.70-3.12; P < 0.001) treatment facility were associated with Black race. Adherence to guidelines did not predict Black race (OR for adherence 1.0021, 95% CI 0.89-1.13; P = 0.97). Median survival for White patients with adherent care was 63.4 months and 51.4 months for Black patients (P = 0.0001). Median survival for White patients with non-adherent care was 60.5 months and 47.2 months for Black patients (P < 0.0001). Median overall survival was 61.1 months in White patients and 49.3 months in Black patients (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that while Black patients and patients who receive non-NCCN guideline directed care have worse survival outcomes, guideline adherence is not independently associated with Black race. We must consider other socioeconomic, environmental and system factors that are contributing to the survival discrepancy in Black patients with ovarian cancer.

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Incidence of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer in Florida by Histology, 2001-2015: Analysis of Trends.

OBJECTIVES: Because the population in Florida is 25.6% Hispanic, it is possible to evaluate the influence of race and ethnicity within clinically relevant subgroups of women with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), including histology and tumor grade. This study explores racial/ethnic disparities in the incidence of EOC in Florida by histology and tumor grade. METHODS: This study is an analysis of the Florida Cancer Database System. All incidence EOC cases from 2001 through 2015 were identified. Age-adjusted incidences were calculated and trends modeled by race/ethnicity and histology using Joinpoint and Poisson regression. RESULTS: In total, 80% of the 21,731 women with EOC were White, followed by Hispanic (13.1%) and non-Hispanic Black (7.9%). All races/ethnicities had statistically significant declines in incidence, with non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black women having the steepest declines (annual percentage change -2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] -5.9 to -2.1 and annual percentage change -2.8, 95% CI -4.8 to -1.5, respectively). A decreased incidence trend across the time period was seen for all subgroups (relative risk 0.97 [95% CI 0.96-0.98], 0.96 [95% CI 0.96-0.99], and 0.98 [95% CI 0.96-0.99] for non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic). High-grade EOC incidence for all groups did not change with time. CONCLUSIONS: We found significant declines in the incidence of EOC for all races/ethnicities, but not for high-grade EOC. The observed incidence decline in Hispanic women differs from previous research. More research is needed to understand women the causes of overall racial/ethnic differences and the decline in EOC.

Genital Powder Use and Risk of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer in the Ovarian Cancer in Women of African Ancestry Consortium.

BACKGROUND: Genital powder use is more common among African-American women; however, studies of genital powder use and ovarian cancer risk have been conducted predominantly in White populations, and histotype-specific analyses among African-American populations are limited. METHODS: We used data from five studies in the Ovarian Cancer in Women of African Ancestry consortium. Participants included 620 African-American cases, 1,146 African-American controls, 2,800 White cases, and 6,735 White controls who answered questions on genital powder use prior to 2014. The association between genital powder use and ovarian cancer risk by race was estimated using logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of ever genital powder use for cases was 35.8% among African-American women and 29.5% among White women. Ever use of genital powder was associated with higher odds of ovarian cancer among African-American women [OR = 1.22; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.97-1.53] and White women (OR = 1.36; 95% CI = 1.19-1.57). In African-American women, the positive association with risk was more pronounced among high-grade serous tumors (OR = 1.31; 95% CI = 1.01-1.71) than with all other histotypes (OR = 1.05; 95% CI = 0.75-1.47). In White women, a significant association was observed irrespective of histotype (OR = 1.33; 95% CI = 1.12-1.56 and OR = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.15-1.66, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: While genital powder use was more prevalent among African-American women, the associations between genital powder use and ovarian cancer risk were similar across race and did not materially vary by histotype. IMPACT: This is one of the largest studies to date to compare the associations between genital powder use and ovarian cancer risk, overall and by histotype, between African-American and White women.

Screening for PIK3CA mutations among Saudi women with ovarian cancer.

The study aimed to screen for PIK3CA gene mutations among Saudi women with Ovarian Cancer. The study included 298 Saudi women with epithelial ovarian cancers (EOC). DNA sequence analysis was employed to screen for the mutations. DNA sequence analysis of a coding region of exon 9 and 20 of PIK3CA gene revealed mutations in 37/298 (12.4%) EOC patients. About 21/37(56.8%) somatic mutations were identified in exons 9, and 16/37(43.2%) in exon 20. All analysed mutations were missense mutations, the frequencies of which varied from 2.7% to 43.2%. PIK3CA mutation was found to be significantly associated with age (p = .023), grade (p = .001) and histological types (p = .032). Only 6.6% of serous carcinomas and 3.8% of endometrioid had PIK3CA mutation. The Mutated PIK3CA gene was significantly involved in the pathogenesis of EOC among Saudi women. PIK3CA gene mutation and overexpression represent important clinical implications for diagnosis, and prognosis, which can be utilised for better EOC management.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? The detailed molecular and genetic phenomenon underlying the progression of these tumours is still unclear. Recently, the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer has been attributed to mutations of PIK3CA.What do the results of this study add? Mutation in the PIK3CA gene leads to altered PI3K/AKT signalling pathways responsible for the progression of the epithelial ovarian cancer.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? The Mutated PIK3CA gene was significantly involved in the pathogenesis of EOC among Saudi women. PIK3CA gene mutation and overexpression represent important clinical implications for diagnosis, and prognosis, which can be utilised for better EOC management.

Cardiometabolic comorbidities and epithelial ovarian cancer risk among African-American women in the African-American Cancer Epidemiology Study (AACES).

BACKGROUND: Studies that have examined the association between cardiovascular comorbidities and epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) have yielded inconsistent results. It remains unknown whether cardiometabolic disease is associated with EOC in African American (AA) women, who have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease and lower risk of EOC than White women. Here, we estimate the effect of cardiovascular comorbid conditions and EOC risk among AA women. METHODS: Data were available from 593 ovarian carcinoma patients and 752 controls enrolled in the African American Cancer Epidemiology Study (AACES). Participants were asked to self-report a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes and any current medication use. The relationship between hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and medications taken for these conditions was determined using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Hypertension was associated with an increased risk (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01, 1.73), whereas diabetes and hyperlipidemia were associated with a decreased risk (aOR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.49, 0.91 and aOR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.47, 0.80, respectively) of EOC. Use of anti-diabetic medication was inversely associated with EOC risk, as was use of lipid lowering medications (in the overall study population), which were predominantly statins. Among women with hypertension, use of anti-hypertensive medications was inversely associated with EOC risk, with associations that were most pronounced for diuretics, ARBs and ACE inhibitors. CONCLUSION: Hypertension was associated with an increased EOC risk in this patient population, whereas an inverse association was observed for diabetes and hyperlipidemia. The decreased risk of EOC identified with use of anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetes or lipid-lowering medications could have implications for risk reduction strategies.

The elevated risk of ovarian clear cell carcinoma among Asian Pacific Islander women in the United States is not affected by birthplace.

OBJECTIVE: To determine incidence of ovarian clear cell cancer (OCCC) by race ethnicity and how that relationship is affected by birthplace among Asian Pacific Islanders (API). METHODS: The 18 registries of the U.S. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) dataset were queried to identify all women registered with epithelial ovarian cancer from 1973 to 2013. Relative risks of OCCC to non-OCCC based on ethnicity and birthplace were compared. RESULTS: We identified 72, 501 women with epithelial ovarian cancer in the dataset; of these, 5078 (7.0%) had OCCC and 4859 (6.7%) were API. The age-adjusted incidence rate/100,000 women of OCCC was significantly higher in API women (0.6, 0.5-0.6 95% CI) compared to any other ethnicity. A significantly higher proportion of API women had OCCC (14.5%) compared to their White (6.6%, RR 2.2, p < 0.0001) and Black counterparts (4.3%, RR 3.4, p < 0.0001). The majority of API women were foreign-born (70.8%). The relative risk of clear cell compared to non-clear cell epithelial ovarian cancer was not demonstrably different among foreign born API women with ovarian cancer (RR 1.1, 95% CI 0.9 to 1.3, p = 0.6). CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated that, in the US, there is an elevated risk of OCCC associated with API ethnicity. Place of birth does not appear to significantly modify the association, suggesting that the increased risk of OCCC in API women may not be affected by acculturation or environmental exposure. Future research exploring the complex relationships between ethnicity and risk of malignancy will be important as we make progress in understanding disease process and treatment.

Racial and ethnic disparities in the overall survival of women with epithelial ovarian cancer in Florida, 2001-2015.

Many studies have focused on white and black disparities in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) but fewer include Hispanics. Florida presents a unique opportunity to study racial/ethnic disparities. This study examined racial/ethnic disparities in the overall survival of women with EOC in Florida by histology. All EOC cases from 2001 through 2015 were identified in the Florida Cancer Database System (FCDS). Survival curves by race/ethnicity and histology were generated by Kaplan-Meier methods. Cox regression evaluated the associations between race/ethnicity, histology, and survival. Eligible EOC cases (n = 21,721) identified in the 2001-2015 FCDS were included in the study. The median survival for non-Hispanic whites (NHWs), non-Hispanic blacks (NHBs), and Hispanics was 31, 21, and 35 months, respectively (p < 0.001). NHB had an increased [AHR 1.23 (95% CI 1.15, 1.30)] and Hispanics a nonsignificant decreased hazard [AHR 0.96 (95% CI 0.91, 1.02)] of death compared to NHW after controlling for other demographic, treatment, and tumor characteristics. Relative to NHWs, NBH had worse survival while Hispanics had equivalent survival. Future research should consider evaluating genetic and epigenetic modifications, and prevalence of cancer syndromes to further elucidate the etiologies of disease in these disparate populations.

African American women with advanced-stage ovarian cancer have worse outcomes regardless of treatment type.

OBJECTIVE: There has been an increase in the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in recent years. Our objective was to determine if African American women are more likely to receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy than primary debulking surgery, when compared to their Caucasian counterparts, and the impact of such an approach on oncologic outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed using the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Women aged 18-90 years, diagnosed with stage IIIC or IV epithelial ovarian cancer between January 2010 through December 2014 were included. Women with unknown treatment or treatments outside of neoadjuvant chemotherapy or primary debulking surgery were excluded. Only women of Caucasian, African American, or Hispanic origin who received either neoadjuvant chemotherapy or primary debulking surgery were included; all other races were excluded. Descriptive statistics were computed, and continuous variables were assessed for normality. Groups were compared using ANOVA or non-parametric medians tests for continuous variables, and chi-squared tests were used for dichotomous or categorical variables. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of treatment. A p value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 19 838 women with stage IIIC and IV epithelial ovarian cancer met the inclusion criteria. A total of 14 988 (75.6%) were treated with primary debulking surgery, while 4850 women (24.4%) were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Of those treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 24.5% were white, 27.0% were African American, and 22.1% were Hispanic (p=0.005), and when adjusted for confounders, being African American was a predictor of receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.29, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.51). Ninety-day mortality rates were higher in African American women compared with Caucasian and Hispanic women (2.9% vs 2.0% vs 1.6%, p=0.013). There were no differences in 30-day mortality, 90-day mortality, or status at last contact in African American women, when comparing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and primary debulking surgery. In Caucasian women, outcomes were worse in women receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to other races, African American women with advanced ovarian cancer are more likely to receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy than primary debulking surgery and had a higher 90-day mortality rate. In African American women there was no difference in outcomes based on treatment type.

Predictors of survival trajectories among women with epithelial ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Although ovarian cancer is a deadly disease, approximately a third of women survive ≥9 years after diagnosis. The factors associated with achieving long-term survival are not well understood. In this study, data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program were used to determine predictors of survival trajectories among women with epithelial ovarian cancer and across histotype (high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) and non-HGSC). METHODS: Data on 35,868 women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer in 2004-2016 were extracted from SEER. Extended Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate overall and histotype-specific associations between patient and tumor characteristics and all-cause mortality within each survival time (t) interval (t < 3, 3 ≤ t < 6, 6 ≤ t < 9, and 9 ≤ t < 13 years). RESULTS: Age at diagnosis, marital status, race/ethnicity, stage, and surgery were more strongly associated with mortality in the short-term survival period, and these associations waned with increasing survival time. Exceptions to this pattern were age >70 years at diagnosis, where a high risk of mortality was observed in both the t < 3 and t ≥ 9 year time periods, and non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islanders, where a more pronounced inverse association with mortality was observed in t ≥ 9 years after diagnosis. Similar associations were observed for HGSC, although the waning effect was not apparent for most characteristics. Mortality associations for non-HGSC were more pronounced for stage and race/ethnicity, primarily for non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islanders. CONCLUSIONS: Most patient and tumor characteristics were more strongly associated with mortality in the years following diagnosis, but have declining impact with increasing survival time. Given this waning effect, it is critical to identify factors impacting risk of mortality as ovarian cancer patients advance through the survival trajectory.

Survival disparities among racial/ethnic groups of women with ovarian cancer: An update on data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry.

OBJECTIVE: Update information on racial disparities in ovarian cancer survival from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. METHODS: Data on women with epithelial ovarian cancer from the SEER Program between 1995-2015 were collected including; patient ID, age at diagnosis, year of diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, insurance status, region of registry, tumor grade, tumor histology, tumor summary stage, survival months, race/ethnicity, and vital status. Multivariable analyses were performed to examine overall survival, differences in survival by age at diagnosis, by year of diagnosis, risk of not receiving surgery, and risk of 12-month death across racial/ethnic groups. RESULTS: Non-Hispanic black women (n = 4261) had an increased risk of overall mortality (HR = 1.28, CI: 1.23-1.33) when compared to non-Hispanic white women (n = 47,475), which appears more pronounced among women diagnosed under age 50. Hispanic women (n = 7052) had no difference in survival when compared to non-Hispanic white women (HR = 1.03, CI: 0.99-1.07). Non-Hispanic Asian/PI women (n = 5008) exhibited slightly reduced risk (HR = 0.95, CI: 0.91-0.99) when compared to non-Hispanic white women. Risk of not receiving surgical intervention remains high among non-Hispanic black women and Hispanic women, when compared to non-Hispanic white women. Non-Hispanic black women, non-Hispanic Asian/PI women, and Hispanic women were all at significantly greater risk of dying within the first 12 months of cancer diagnosis when compared to non-Hispanic white women. CONCLUSION: Disparities in survival remain across various racial/ethnic groups, when compared to non-Hispanic white women with ovarian cancer. These disparities should continue to be examined in an effort to decrease such gaps.

Racial and socioeconomic disparities in adherence to preventive health services for ovarian cancer survivors.

PURPOSE: To examine ovarian cancer survivors' adherence to evidence-based guidelines for preventive health care. METHODS: A case-control, retrospective study of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries diagnosed with stage I, II, or III epithelial ovarian cancer from 2001 to 2010 using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database. Survivors were matched 1:1 to non-cancer controls from the 5% Medicare Beneficiary file on age, race, state of residence, and follow-up time. Receipt of flu vaccination, mammography, and bone density tests were examined in accordance with national guidelines. Adherence was assessed starting 1 year after cancer diagnosis, across 2 years of claims. Interaction with the health care system, including outpatient and cancer surveillance visits, was tested as a potential mechanism for receipt of services. RESULTS: 2437 survivors met the eligibility criteria (mean age, 75; 90% white). Ovarian cancer survivors were more likely to be adherent to flu vaccination (5 percentage points (pp); < 0.001) and mammography guidelines (10 pp.; < 0.001) compared to non-cancer controls, but no differences were found for bone density test guidelines (- 1 pp.; NS). Black women were less likely to be adherent to flu vaccination and bone density tests compared with white women. Women dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid were less likely to be adherent compared to those without such support. Adherence was not influenced by measures of outpatient visits. CONCLUSION: Ovarian cancer survivors are receiving preventive services with the same or better adherence than their matched counterparts. Minority and dual-eligible survivors received preventive services at a lower rate than white survivors and those with higher income. The number of outpatient visits was not associated with increased preventive health visits. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Ovarian cancer survivors are receiving adequate follow-up care to be adherent to preventive health measures. Efforts to improve care coordination post-treatment may help reduce minority and low SES disparities.

Trends and characteristics of epithelial ovarian cancer in Japan between 2002 and 2015: A JSGO-JSOG joint study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the trends of epithelial ovarian cancer histologic subtypes in Japan. METHODS: A nationwide retrospective registry study was performed between 2002 and 2015 (Japan cohort, n = 48,640). Trends were also examined in The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (US cohort, n = 49,936). Time-specific proportional changes of four major histological subtypes (serous, clear cell, endometrioid, and mucinous) were examined. RESULTS: The Japan cohort had more stage I disease (44.1% versus 24.9%) and less stage IV disease (10.0% versus 23.1%) than the US cohort (P < 0.001). The Japan cohort had more non-serous histology, particularly clear cell carcinoma (26.9% versus 8.4%), than the US cohort (P < 0.001). In the Japan cohort, proportion of clear cell carcinoma increased significantly from 23.4% to 29.1% between 2002 and 2010 (P < 0.001). Among stage I disease, clear cell carcinoma increased significantly in the Japan cohort from 32.9% to 40.3% between 2002 and 2015 (P < 0.001), whereas mucinous carcinoma increased significantly in the US cohort from 15.0% to 24.8% (P = 0.01). In 2015, clear cell carcinoma was most common among women aged <50 years from the Japan cohort (30.2%) versus serous carcinoma in the US cohort (50.8%). In the Japan cohort, the peak age was 75 years for serous, 57 for clear cell, and 45 for endometrioid carcinoma (P < 0.001). Mucinous carcinoma decreased until 43 years and increased again after age 73 years (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Characteristics of epithelial ovarian cancer in Japan are largely different compared to the US. In Japan, clear cell carcinoma has increased significantly in recent years to account for nearly 30% of epithelial ovarian cancer.

Benign gynecologic conditions are associated with ovarian cancer risk in African-American women: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The association between common benign gynecologic conditions and ovarian cancer remains under-studied in African Americans. Therefore, we examine the association between self-reported history of benign gynecologic conditions and epithelial ovarian cancer risk in African-American women. METHODS: Data from a large population-based, multi-center case-control study of epithelial ovarian cancer in African-American women were analyzed to estimate the association between self-reported history of endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), fibroid, and ovarian cyst with epithelial ovarian cancer. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the associations between individual and composite gynecologic conditions and ovarian cancer. RESULTS: 600 cases and 752 controls enrolled in the African American Cancer Epidemiology Study between 1 December 2010 and 31 December 2015 comprised the study population. After adjusting for potential confounders, a history of endometriosis was associated with ovarian cancer (OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.09-2.90). A non-significant association of similar magnitude was observed with PID (OR 1.33; 95% CI 0.82-2.16), while no association was observed in women with a history of fibroid or ovarian cyst. A positive trend was observed for an increasing number of reported gynecologic conditions (p = 0.006) with consistency across histologic subtypes and among both oral contraceptive users and non-users. CONCLUSION: A self-reported history of endometriosis among African-American women was associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer. Having multiple benign gynecologic conditions also increased ovarian cancer risk.

Weekly versus 3-weekly paclitaxel in combination with carboplatin in advanced ovarian cancer: which is the optimal adjuvant chemotherapy regimen?

The 3-weekly regimen of carboplatin and paclitaxel is the backbone of first line adjuvant chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer. The landmark Japanese Gynaecologic Oncology Group (JGOG) 3016 study demonstrated significant improvements in progression-free survival and overall survival with dose dense weekly administration of paclitaxel in combination with 3-weekly carboplatin. However, efforts to replicate these benefits have failed in subsequent phase III trials. Weekly paclitaxel is purported to have enhanced antitumor activity, with stronger anti-angiogenic effects, and yet is better tolerated. In this review, we explore the rationale for dose dense weekly paclitaxel, and compare the relevant trials as well as quality of life considerations. Possible reasons for the difference in outcomes between the JGOG 3016 and other studies are reviewed, with a focus on how the addition of bevacizumab, the variations between histological and molecular subtypes of epithelial ovarian cancers, and ethnic pharmacogenetic differences may potentially affect the efficacy of dose dense paclitaxel.

Racial Differences in Survival From Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Are Associated With Stage at Diagnosis and Use of Neoadjuvant Therapy: A 10-Year Single-Institution Experience With a Racially Diverse Urban Population.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the racial/ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer survival in a diverse population. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study evaluating all patients with epithelial ovarian cancer who received primary treatment at Montefiore Medical Center from 2005 to 2015. Clinicopathologic and survival data were abstracted from medical records. Two-sided statistical analyses were performed using SAS 9.3. RESULTS: Three hundred forty-four evaluable patients were identified: 85 (25%) black, 107 (31%) white, 74 (21%) Hispanic, and 78 (23%) other. Black patients were more likely to present with stage IV disease (P = 0.01) and receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P < 0.01). By Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, black race was associated with worse recurrence-free survival (P = 0.01) when compared with white race. In multivariate Cox regression model including treatment and stage, race was no longer associated with survival. In a separate multivariate analysis, utilization of neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with black race (odds ratio 4.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.56-10.38; P < 0.01) and stage IV disease (odds ratio 3.44; 95% confidence interval, 1.66-7.12; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In a racially/ethnically diverse population with ovarian cancer, black women had poorer disease-free survival than whites, although this was statistically accounted for by stage at diagnosis and use of neoadjuvant therapy. Research is needed to determine how differences in access/utilization of care and genetic differences in tumor biology may impact late stage diagnosis and use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy among black ovarian cancer patients.

Recreational physical activity and survival in African-American women with ovarian cancer.

PURPOSE: While recreational physical activity (RPA) has been associated with reduced mortality in breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers, evidence for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is limited. Most EOC studies have been in predominantly white populations, although inactivity is more prevalent and survival is poorer among African-American (AA) women. We examined RPA before and after EOC diagnosis and associations with survival among AA women. METHODS: We analyzed data from 264 EOC survivors enrolled in a population-based, case-control study who completed surveys that included questions about pre- and post-diagnosis RPA. Data were collected on RPA frequency, intensity, and duration before diagnosis and approximately 1 year after the baseline interview. We calculated metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-hours/week for pre- and post-diagnosis RPA, and evaluated associations with risk of mortality using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: RPA before diagnosis was not associated with mortality. Hazard ratios (HRs) for post-diagnosis RPA were < 1.0 but not statistically significant after adjustment for covariates; HRs were 0.94 (95% CI 0.58, 1.54) for > 0-9 MET-hours/week and 0.53 (95% CI 0.21, 1.35) for > 9 MET-hours/week. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that RPA may be inversely associated with mortality among AA women with ovarian cancer, although it is possible that the present study was underpowered to detect an association. There is a clear need for more studies of RPA after diagnosis in EOC survivors with attention to potential differences by race.

Racial/ethnic differences in the epidemiology of ovarian cancer: a pooled analysis of 12 case-control studies.

Background: Ovarian cancer incidence differs substantially by race/ethnicity, but the reasons for this are not well understood. Data were pooled from the African American Cancer Epidemiology Study (AACES) and 11 case-control studies in the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium (OCAC) to examine racial/ethnic differences in epidemiological characteristics with suspected involvement in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) aetiology. Methods: We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate associations for 17 reproductive, hormonal and lifestyle characteristics and EOC risk by race/ethnicity among 10 924 women with invasive EOC (8918 Non-Hispanic Whites, 433 Hispanics, 911 Blacks, 662 Asian/Pacific Islanders) and 16 150 controls (13 619 Non-Hispanic Whites, 533 Hispanics, 1233 Blacks, 765 Asian/Pacific Islanders). Likelihood ratio tests were used to evaluate heterogeneity in the risk factor associations by race/ethnicity. Results: We observed statistically significant racial/ethnic heterogeneity for hysterectomy and EOC risk (P = 0.008), where the largest odds ratio (OR) was observed in Black women [OR = 1.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.34-2.02] compared with other racial/ethnic groups. Although not statistically significant, the associations for parity, first-degree family history of ovarian or breast cancer, and endometriosis varied by race/ethnicity. Asian/Pacific Islanders had the greatest magnitude of association for parity (≥3 births: OR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.28-0.54), and Black women had the largest ORs for family history (OR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.42-2.21) and endometriosis (OR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.65-3.55). Conclusions: Although racial/ethnic heterogeneity was observed for hysterectomy, our findings support the validity of EOC risk factors across all racial/ethnic groups, and further suggest that any racial/ethnic population with a higher prevalence of a modifiable risk factor should be targeted to disseminate information about prevention.