Researchers from the Netherlands have reported that hospitals specializing in care for ovarian cancer are associated with significantly improved survival for women with early ovarian cancer. These results were recently reported on March 11, 2008 in an early online publication in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

There has been recent evidence that patients with certain types of cancers have improved outcomes when treated by a disease specialist or when treated in a specialized hospital or medical institute. Specifically, data from some studies have indicated that women with ovarian cancer who are treated by a gynecologic oncologist who performs many surgeries for ovarian cancer have a higher survival rate than patients not treated by an experienced specialist in the specified surgical procedures. Further research continues into this topic, as all patients do not have convenient access to specialists and specialty centers.

Researchers recently conducted another study to further evaluate the relationship between hospital experience and outcomes among women with early ovarian cancer. This study included 8,621 women; 40% of participants were treated in general hospitals, 41% were treated in semispecialized hospitals, and 18% were treated in specialized hospitals. Specialized hospitals had gynecologic oncologists on staff and were regional hospitals for treating gynecologic cancers, whereas semispecialized hospitals were community hospitals that had physicians on staff with subspecialty training in gynecologic oncology.

• Among women with Stage I-IIA ovarian cancer who were 50-75 years of age, the risk of death from ovarian cancer was reduced by 42% among women treated at specialized hospitals and by 30% among those treated at semispecialized hospitals compared with those treated at general hospitals.
• Among patients with advanced ovarian cancer, hospital type was not associated with survival.

The researchers concluded: “Hospital type was statistically significantly associated with survival among Dutch ovarian cancer patients with early-stage ovarian cancer: Patients who were treated in specialized and semispecialized hospitals survived longer than patients treated in general hospitals.”

Comments: These data are consistent with U.S. data, except that at least one U.S. study has shown a survival advantage for patients with advanced ovarian cancer treated by a gynecologic oncologist.

Related News:

Further Evidence in Favor of Care for Ovarian Cancer Patients by Gynecologic Oncologists (02/05/2008)

Women with Advanced Ovarian Cancer Survive Longer When Treated by a Gynecologic Oncologist (03/01/2002)

Treatment at High-volume Hospital Linked with Better Breast Cancer Survival (03/20/2007)

In-Hospital Deaths Lower for High-Volume Surgeons for Uterine Cancer (12/11/2006)

Surgeon and Hospital Characteristics Influence Colon Surgery Outcomes (1/30/2007)

Reference: Vernooji F, Heintz P, Witteveen P, et al. Specialized care and survival of ovarian cancer patients in the Netherlands: nationwide cohort study. Journal of the National Cancer Institute [early online publication]. March 11, 2008. DOI: doi:10.1093/jnci/djn033.