Effect of Histology and Stage on the Survival of Elderly Women With Ovarian Cancer

Introduction. Approximately fifty percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer (OC) are elderly. Despite the higher prevalence of malignant neoplasms, treatment is often less aggressive than that in younger patients. This study examined a group of elderly women with stage III and stage IV epithelial OC, histologically typed as adenocarcinoma and papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma (PSC), for the effects of treatment outcome on survival. Methods. Study considered 6514 females, aged 65 and older, with OC from the Florida Cancer Registry (January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2009). Surveillance data with a follow-up period with maximum of 6 years were available. Some analyses are based upon on frequency tables reported at one point in time. Survival analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier method, and nonparametric comparison techniques were used. Chi-Square test of independence with a two-sided pvalue was reported for frequency comparisons. Results. Stage III and IV PSC cases received surgery plus chemotherapy (SCT) more frequently than surgery alone (S) (p = 0.0003). Stage does not impact the median months of survival nor the three year survival time with treatment by S or SCT. For adenocarcinoma and PSC cases, survival was increased in stage III and IV cancers with SCT. Caucasian survival with adenocarcinoma and PSC was increased in stage III and IV cancers with SCT. Survival results were similar with non-married patients. Married patients had increased survival with SCT with stage III and IV PSC. Conclusion. Study demonstrated increased OC survival when patients were treated with SCT.