Patient Surveillance After Ovarian Cancer Treatment Is Inconsistent
Last Updated: 2010-03-09 18:32:24 -0400 (Reuters Health)
ST. LOUIS, MO (Reuters Health) - The intensity of surveillance after curative-intent treatment for ovarian cancer is highly variable, investigators announced this week at the Society of Surgical Oncology 63rd Annual Cancer Symposium.
Dr. Garo Harmandayan of St. Louis University School of Medicine and colleagues reported on a survey completed by 283 members of the Society for Gynecologic Oncologists.
The investigators developed the survey based on four "idealized" vignettes depicting generally healthy women with ovarian cancer of various FIGO stages.
The survey asked respondents what they would advise each year for 10 years after initial curative-intent treatment, including the number of office visits, pelvic exams, Pap smears, complete blood counts, metabolic panels, serum Ca-125 levels, chest X-rays, abdominal pelvic CTs, chest CTs, abdominal-pelvic MRIs, and transvaginal ultrasound exams.
The most frequently recommended elements of care for each year for all four scenarios were office visits, pelvic examinations and serum CA-125 measurements. Imaging studies were rarely recommended.
The intensity of surveillance varied widely. For example, the number of pelvic exams recommended in the first year for women with stage 1 cancer ranged from 1 to 12. In addition, the respondents tended to recommend each element of care less often as time since surgery increased.
The authors said that to their knowledge, the study is the first to describe the self-reported practice of experienced clinicians who treat ovarian cancer patients.
Ovarian cancer is diagnosed in more than 20,000 women in the U.S. each year, Dr. Harmandayan said. The disease has a five-year survival rate of 45% and causes more deaths than all other gynecologic malignancies combined.
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