STAGE-I OVARIAN-CARCINOMA - SPECIALTY-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN SURVIVALAND MANAGEMENT

Background. In patients with FIGO (International Federation of Gynecol ogy and Obstetrics) stage I ovarian carcinoma given care with or witho ut subspecialists, we compared completeness of initial staging and dis ease-free survival. Methods, Two groups of patients with stage I ovari an carcinoma were compared. Patients were managed by either gynecologi c oncologists or community-based physicians. The two groups were compa red for similarities in demographic, tumor, and substage characteristi cs and survival differences. Results, Fifty-four patients with stage I ovarian cancer were included. The two groups were comparable in age, gravidity, parity, grade, and substage. Substaging was determined to b e adequate in 100% of the gynecologic oncologist group and 28% of the community-based group. Postoperative chemotherapy was given to 79% and 36% of the two groups, respectively. Six-year survival was 90% in the gynecologic oncologist group and 68% in the community-based group. Co nclusions. Of these two groups of patients with stage I ovarian cancer , the group managed without gynecologic oncology involvement had signi ficantly less adequate staging, decreased administration of chemothera py, and lower survival rates.