Survival Rate Improves With Gynecologic Oncologist

Research has shown:

A 1999 Scottish study showed significant benefits for women treated by gynecologic oncologists, especially for the 44% of women who present at Stage III.

• This study, based on 621 deaths over seven years, showed a reduction in death rates of 25% for those women operated on by a gynecologic oncologist, and a 32% increase in death rates for women operated on by other surgeons. In addition, women treated by a gynecologic oncologist showed mean survival rates one-third longer than those treated by OB/GYNs. The authors of this study suggest that the incredible success rates of gynecologic oncologists are probably due to three factors: 1) The extent of surgery, 2) More success in removing the majority of the tumor and 3) More effective chemotherapy.\

This 1999 study also showed that women with Stage III cancer treated by gynecologic oncologists had a mean survival of 18 months compared with 13 months for those treated by gynecologists.

• Since 66% of ovarian cancer deaths occur in women with Stage III disease, any improvement in this group makes a substantial contribution to overall improvement in survival for women with ovarian cancer, and would justify the need for gynecologic oncologists.
  

Five-year survival and disease-free intervals for women whose surgeon was a gynecologic oncologist far surpass the rate for women treated by non-oncologist, OB/GYN groups.

• Women whose surgery was performed by a gynecologic oncologist had five-year survival rates after surgical treatment only, which parallel those rates found in studies of women utilizing radiation or chemotherapy in addition to their surgery. One reason behind these startling statistics is the fact that frequently, non-oncologic surgeons overlook ovarian malignancy in the pre-operative clinical diagnosis of a pelvic mass.

Junor, E.J., Hole, D.J., McNulty, L., Mason, M., Young, J. Specialist Gynaecologists and Survival Outcome in Ovarian Cancer: A Scottish National Study of 1866 Patients, British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 106, 1130-1136 (1999).

Mayer, A.R., Chambers, S.K., Graves, E., Holm, C., Tseng, P.C., Nelson, B.E., Schwartz, P.E. Ovarian Cancer Staging: Does it Require a Gynecologic Oncologist?, Gynec. Oncol. 47, 223-227 (1992).