Disparities in the adherence to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline-directed treatment and socioeconomic characteristics may be responsible for the differences in ovarian cancer outcomes of ovarian cancer in Black women versus White women.
In a retrospective review of the National Cancer Database to identify patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer from 2012-2016, the researchers defined adherence to NCCN guidelines as having stage- and year-appropriate chemotherapy and surgery. In a cohort of 32,163 participants, 27,744 identified their race as “White” and 2,204 as “Black.”
Characteristics associated with higher likelihood of Black race were advanced stage of disease- stage III or stage IV disease and treatment in a comprehensive or academic treatment facility. Variables associated with a lower likelihood of Black race were higher education level and higher median household income. Whether the care received was adherent to NCCN guidelines did not seem to be associated with Black race. The 5-year overall survival for patients who received adherent care was 58% for White patients versus 49% for Black patients. Among those who did not receive adherent care, the outcomes were 49% among White patients versus 38% among Black patients.
