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Limited estimates exist on risk factors for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in Asian, Hispanic, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander women. Participants in this study included 1734 Asian (n = 785 case and 949 control participants), 266 Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (n = 99 case and 167 control participants), 1149 Hispanic (n = 505 case and 644 control participants), and 24 189 White (n = 9981 case and 14 208 control participants) from 11 studies in the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium. Logistic regression models estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for risk associations by race and ethnicity. Heterogeneity in EOC risk associations by race and ethnicity (P ≤ .02) was observed for oral contraceptive (OC) use, parity, tubal ligation, and smoking. We observed inverse associations with EOC risk for OC use and parity across all groups; associations were strongest in Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and Asian women. The inverse association for tubal ligation with risk was most pronounced for Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander participants (odds ratio (OR) = 0.25; 95% CI, 0.13-0.48) compared with Asian and White participants (OR = 0.68 [95% CI, 0.51-0.90] and OR = 0.78 [95% CI, 0.73-0.85], respectively). Differences in EOC risk factor associations were observed across racial and ethnic groups, which could be due, in part, to varying prevalence of EOC histotypes. Inclusion of greater diversity in future studies is essential to inform prevention strategies. This article is part of a Special Collection on Gynecological Cancers., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.)

Objectives: Primary mucinous ovarian carcinoma represents 3% of ovarian cancers and is typically diagnosed early, yielding favorable outcomes. This study aims to identify risk factors, focussing on the impact of age and ethnicity on survival from primary mucinous ovarian cancer., Methods: A retrospective observational study of patients treated at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust and University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire. Patients included were women aged ≥16 years, with primary mucinous ovarian cancer confirmed by specialist gynecological histopathologist and tumor immunohistochemistry, including cytokeratin-7, cytokeratin-20, and CDX2. Statistical analyses were performed using R integrated development environment, with survival assessed by Cox proportional hazards models and Kaplan-Meier plots., Results: A total of 163 patients were analyzed; median age at diagnosis was 58 years (range 16-92), 145 (89%) were International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage I and 43 (26%) patients had infiltrative invasion. Women aged ≤45 years were more likely to have infiltrative invasion (RR=1.38, 95% CI 0.78 to 2.46), with increased risk of death associated with infiltrative invasion (HR=2.29, 95% CI 1.37 to 5.83). Compared with White counterparts, South Asian women were more likely to undergo fertility-sparing surgery (RR=3.52, 95% CI 1.48 to 8.32), and have infiltrative invasion (RR=1.25, 95% CI 0.60 to 2.58). South Asian women undergoing fertility-sparing surgery had worse prognosis than those undergoing traditional staging surgery (HR=2.20, 95% CI 0.39 to 13.14). In FIGO stage I disease, 59% South Asian and 37% White women received adjuvant chemotherapy (p=0.06). South Asian women exhibited a worse overall prognosis than White women (HR=2.07, 95% CI 0.86 to 4.36), particularly pronounced in those aged ≤45 years (HR=8.75, 95% CI 1.22 to 76.38)., Conclusion: This study identified young age as a risk factor for diagnosis of infiltrative invasion. Fertility-sparing surgery in South Asian women is a risk factor for poorer prognosis. South Asian women exhibit poorer overall survival than their White counterparts., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© IGCS and ESGO 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. Published by BMJ.)

Background: CA-125 testing is a recommended first line investigation for women presenting with possible symptoms of ovarian cancer in English primary care, to help determine whether further investigation for ovarian cancer is needed. It is currently not known how well the CA-125 test performs in ovarian cancer detection for patients from different ethnic groups., Methods: A retrospective cohort study utilising English primary care data linked to the national cancer registry was undertaken. Women aged ≥ 40 years with a CA-125 test between 2010 and 2017 were included. Logistic regression predicted one-year ovarian cancer incidence by ethnicity, adjusting for age, deprivation status, and comorbidity score. The estimated incidence of ovarian cancer by CA-125 level was modelled for each ethnic group using restricted cubic splines., Results: The diagnostic performance of CA-125 differed for women from different ethnicities. In an unadjusted analysis, predicted CA-125 levels for Asian and Black women were higher than White women at corresponding probabilities of ovarian cancer. The higher PPVs for White women compared to Asian or Black women were eliminated by inclusion of covariates., Conclusion: The introduction of ethnicity-specific thresholds may increase the specificity and PPVs of CA-125 in ovarian cancer detection at the expense of sensitivity, particularly for Asian and Black women. As such, we cannot recommend the use of ethnicity-specific thresholds for CA-125., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Studies on ovarian cancer (OC) diagnosis, treatment and survival across disaggregated Asian sub-ethnic groups are sparse. Few studies have also conducted trend analyses of these outcomes within and across Asian groups., Methods: Using logistic, Cox, and Joinpoint regression analyses of the 2000-2018 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data, we examined disparities and trends in OC advanced stage diagnosis, receipt of treatments and the 5-year cause-specific survival across seven Asian sub-ethnic groups., Results: There were 6491 OC patients across seven Asian sub-ethnic groups (mean [SD] age, 57.29 [13.90] years). There were 1583(24.39%) Filipino, 1183(18.23%) Chinese, and 761(11.72%) Asian Indian or Pakistani (AIP) patients. The majority (52.49%) were diagnosed with OC with at an advanced stage. AIP were more likely to have advanced stage diagnosis than other subgroups (ORs, 95%CIs: 0.77, 0.62-0.96 [Filipino]; 0.76, 0.60-0.95 [Chinese]; 0.71, 0.54-0.94 [Japanese]; 0.74, 0.56-0.98 [Vietnamese] and 0.66, 0.53-0.83 [Other Asians]). The Filipinos were least likely to receive surgery but most likely to undergo chemotherapy. Japanese patients had the worst 5-year OC cause-specific survival (50.29%, 95%CI: 46.20%-54.74%). Based on the aggregated analyses, there was a significantly decreased trend in advanced-stage diagnosis and an increased trend in receipt of chemotherapy. Trends in OC outcomes for several subethnicities differed from those observed in aggregated analyses., Conclusion: In this cohort study of 6491 patients, OC diagnosis, treatment, survival, and trends differed across Asian American ethnic subgroups. Such differences must be considered in future research and interventions to ensure all Asian American subethnicities equally benefit from the advancements in OC care and control.

Background: High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) gene expression subtypes are associated with differential survival. We characterized HGSC gene expression in Black individuals and considered whether gene expression differences by self-identified race may contribute to poorer HGSC survival among Black versus White individuals., Methods: We included newly generated RNA sequencing data from Black and White individuals and array-based genotyping data from four existing studies of White and Japanese individuals. We used K-means clustering, a method with no predefined number of clusters or dataset-specific features, to assign subtypes. Cluster- and dataset-specific gene expression patterns were summarized by moderated t-scores. We compared cluster-specific gene expression patterns across datasets by calculating the correlation between the summarized vectors of moderated t-scores. After mapping to The Cancer Genome Atlas-derived HGSC subtypes, we used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate subtype-specific survival by dataset., Results: Cluster-specific gene expression was similar across gene expression platforms and racial groups. Comparing the Black population with the White and Japanese populations, the immunoreactive subtype was more common (39% vs. 23%-28%) and the differentiated subtype was less common (7% vs. 22%-31%). Patterns of subtype-specific survival were similar between the Black and White populations with RNA sequencing data; compared with mesenchymal cases, the risk of death was similar for proliferative and differentiated cases and suggestively lower for immunoreactive cases [Black population HR = 0.79 (0.55, 1.13); White population HR = 0.86 (0.62, 1.19)]., Conclusions: Although the prevalence of HGSC subtypes varied by race, subtype-specific survival was similar., Impact: HGSC subtypes can be consistently assigned across platforms and self-identified racial groups., (©2024 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Background: Racial and ethnic differences in early death after cancer diagnosis have not been well studied in gynecologic malignancy., Objective: This study aimed to assess population-level trends and characteristics of early death among patients with gynecologic malignancy based on race and ethnicity in the United States., Study Design: The National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program was queried to examine 461,300 patients with gynecologic malignancies from 2000 to 2020, including uterine (n=242,709), tubo-ovarian (n=119,989), cervical (n=68,768), vulvar (n=22,991), and vaginal (n=6843) cancers. Early death, defined as a mortality event within 2 months of the index cancer diagnosis, was evaluated per race and ethnicity., Results: At the cohort level, early death occurred in 21,569 patients (4.7%), including 10.5%, 5.5%, 2.9%, 2.5%, and 2.4% for tubo-ovarian, vaginal, cervical, uterine, and vulvar cancers, respectively (P<.001). In a race- and ethnicity-specific analysis, non-Hispanic Black patients with tubo-ovarian cancer had the highest early death rate (14.5%). Early death racial and ethnic differences were the largest in tubo-ovarian cancer (6.4% for Asian vs 14.5% for non-Hispanic Black), followed by uterine (1.6% for Asian vs 4.9% for non-Hispanic Black) and cervical (1.8% for Hispanic vs 3.8% to non-Hispanic Black) cancers (all, P<.001). In tubo-ovarian cancer, the early death rate decreased over time by 33% in non-Hispanic Black patients from 17.4% to 11.8% (adjusted odds ratio, 0.67; 95% confidence interval, 0.53-0.85) and 23% in non-Hispanic White patients from 12.3% to 9.5% (adjusted odds ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-0.85), respectively. The early death between-group difference diminished only modestly (12.3% vs 17.4% for 2000-2002 [adjusted odds ratio for non-Hispanic White vs non-Hispanic Black, 0.54; 95% confidence interval, 0.45-0.65] and 9.5% vs 11.8% for 2018-2020 [adjusted odds ratio, 0.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.54-0.78])., Conclusion: Overall, approximately 5% of patients with gynecologic malignancy died within the first 2 months from cancer diagnosis, and the early death rate exceeded 10% in non-Hispanic Black individuals with tubo-ovarian cancer. Although improving early death rates is encouraging, the difference among racial and ethnic groups remains significant, calling for further evaluation., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the effect of racial residential segregation on disparities between Black and White patients in stage at diagnosis, receipt of surgery, and survival., Methods: Subjects included Black and White patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer between 2005 and 2015 obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Demographic data were obtained from the 2010 decennial census and 2013 American Community Survey. The exposure of interest was the index of dissimilarity (IOD), a validated measure of segregation. The outcomes of interest included relative risk of advanced stage at diagnosis and surgery for localized disease, 5-year overall and cancer-specific survival., Results: Black women were more likely to present with Stage IV ovarian cancer when compared to White (32% vs 25%, p < 0.001) and less often underwent surgical resection overall (64% vs 75%, p < 0.001). Increasing IOD was associated with a 25% increased risk of presenting at advanced stage for Black patients (RR 1.25, 95% CI 1.08, 1.45), and a 15% decrease for White patients (RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.73, 0.99). Increasing IOD was associated with an 18% decreased likelihood of undergoing surgical resection for black patients (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.77, 0.87), but had no significant association for White patients (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.96, 1.08). When compared to White patients in the lowest level of segregation, Black patients in the highest level of segregation had a 17% higher subhazard of death (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.07, 1.27), while Black patients in the lowest level of segregation had no significant difference (HR 1.13, 95% CI 0.99, 1.29)., Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate the direct harm of historical government mandated segregation on Black women with ovarian cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To estimate the incidence of anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of >10 million person-years of observation from members of Kaiser Permanente Southern California, 2011-2022. The electronic health record of individuals with text-string mention of NMDA and encephalitis were reviewed to identify persons who met diagnostic criteria for anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Age-standardized and sex-standardized incidences stratified by race and ethnicity were estimated according to the 2020 US Census population., Results: We identified 70 patients who met diagnostic criteria for anti-NMDAR encephalitis. The median age at onset was 23.7 years (IQR = 14.2-31.0 years), and 45 (64%) were female patients. The age-standardized and sex-standardized incidence of anti-NMDAR encephalitis per 1 million person-years was significantly higher in Black (2.94, 95% CI 1.27-4.61), Hispanic (2.17, 95% CI 1.51-2.83), and Asian/Pacific Island persons (2.02, 95% CI 0.77-3.28) compared with White persons (0.40, 95% CI 0.08-0.72). Ovarian teratomas were found in 58.3% of Black female individuals and 10%-28.6% in other groups., Discussion: Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis disproportionately affected Black, Hispanic, or Asian/Pacific Island persons. Ovarian teratomas were a particularly common trigger in Black female individuals. Future research should seek to identify environmental and biological risk factors that disproportionately affect minoritized individuals residing in the United States.

Objectives: To evaluate the influences of social determinants of health (SDOH) on perceived health and well-being among African American (AA)/Black and Hispanic ovarian cancer survivors., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using overall health and SDOH survey data collected by the National Institutes of Health All of Us Research Program from May 2017 to September 2023., Results: While 1250 enrolled participants with ovarian cancer met the inclusion criteria, 414 (33%) completed SDOH surveys: 29 (7%) AA/Black, 33 (8%) Hispanic, and 352 (85%) White. In the ordinal logistic regression models, for every unit increase in the SDOH neighborhood characteristics score, the odds of having a poor perception of general health decreased by 0.96 times. For every unit increase in the SDOH day-to-day discrimination score, the odds of having a poor perception of general health, general mental health, social satisfaction decreased by 0.95, 0.94 and 0.93 times respectively. For every unit increase in the SDOH food and housing security score, the odds of having a poor perception of general health decreased by 0.57 times. Compared to White ovarian cancer survivors, AA/Black and Hispanic ovarian cancer survivors were significantly more likely to have a poor perception of general health, general mental health, and social satisfaction even when adjusting for these SDOH., Conclusions: Unfavorable SDOH conditions negatively influence the overall perception of health. These findings signal an urgency for healthcare professionals and scientists to partner together with local communities in designing feasible and imaginative interventions to overcome cancer care disparities in an equitable manner., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors have no conflict of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the association between race/ethnicity and all-cause mortality among women with advanced-stage ovarian cancer who received systemic therapy., Methods: We analyzed data from the National Cancer Database on women diagnosed with advanced-stage ovarian cancer from 2004 to 2015 who received systemic therapy. Race/ethnicity was categorized as Non-Hispanic (NH) White, NH-Black, Hispanic, NH-Asian/Pacific Islander, and Other. Income and education were combined to form a composite measure of socioeconomic status (SES) and categorized into low-, mid-, and high-SES. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess whether race/ethnicity was associated with the risk of death after adjusting for sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment factors. Additionally, subgroup analyses were conducted by SES, age, and surgery receipt., Results: The study population comprised 53,367 women (52.4% ages ≥ 65 years, 82% NH-White, 8.7% NH-Black, 5.7% Hispanic, and 2.7% NH-Asian/Pacific Islander) in the analysis. After adjusting for covariates, the NH-Black race was associated with a higher risk of death versus NH-White race (aHR: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.07,1.18), while Hispanic ethnicity was associated with a lower risk of death compared to NH-White women (aHR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.80, 0.95). Furthermore, NH-Black women versus NH-White women had an increased risk of mortality among those with low-SES characteristics (aHR:1.12; 95% CI:1.03-1.22) and mid-SES groups (aHR: 1.13; 95% CI:1.05-1.21)., Conclusions: Among women with advanced-stage ovarian cancer who received systemic therapy, NH-Black women experienced poorer survival compared to NH-White women. Future studies should be directed to identify drivers of ovarian cancer disparities, particularly racial differences in treatment response and surveillance., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The effect of risk factors on ovarian cancer differs by histotype, and the prevalence of such risk factors varies by race/ethnicity. It is not clear how ovarian cancer incidence has changed over time by histotype and race/ethnicity. We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER-12) 1992-2019 data to examine the trend of ovarian cancer incidence for three histotypes (high-grade serous N = 19,691, endometrioid N = 3,212, and clear cell N = 3,275) and four racial/ethnic groups (Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White). Joinpoint and age-period-cohort analyses were conducted to analyze ovarian cancer incidence trends. High-grade serous cancer was the most common histotype, but its incidence has significantly decreased over time for all racial/ethnic groups; the decrease was largest for non-Hispanic White women (average annual percent change AAPC during 2010-2019 = -6.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), -8.0 to -4.2). Conversely, clear cell cancer was most common in the Asian/Pacific Islanders, and its incidence has increased over time, particularly among Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander women (AAPC during 2010-2019 = 2.8; 95% CI, 0.8 to 4.7, and AAPC = 1.5; 95% CI, 0.7 to 2.2, respectively). Endometrioid cancer incidence has decreased in non-Hispanic White but increased in Hispanic women (AAPC during 2010-2019 = -1.3; 95% CI, -1.9 to -0.8, and AAPC = 3.6; 95% CI, 1.0 to 6.3, respectively). The differential incidence trends by histotype and race/ethnicity underscore the need to monitor incidence and risk factor trends across different groups and develop targeted preventive interventions to reduce the burden of ovarian cancer and disparity by race/ethnicity., Significance: During 1992-2019, high-grade serous ovarian cancer incidence has decreased while clear cell cancer incidence has increased regardless of race/ethnicity. Endometrioid cancer incidence has decreased in non-Hispanic White but increased in Hispanic women. Differential ovarian cancer incidence trends highlight the need for targeted preventive interventions by histotype and race/ethnicity., Competing Interests: C.L. Pearce reports grants from NCI during the conduct of the study. No disclosures were reported by the other authors., (© 2023 The Authors; Published by the American Association for Cancer Research.)

Competing Interests: Financial Disclosure The authors did not report any potential conflicts of interest.

Purpose: BRCA gene mutations (BRCAm) have an impact on patients' characteristics and clinical outcomes of ovarian cancer (OC). The frequency and patterns of BRCAm vary among countries and ethnicities. There are limited data from Saudi Arabia (SA); thus, this study aims to determine the frequency, pattern, and impact on patient characteristics and outcomes of BRCAm OC compared to wild-type BRCA (BRCAw) in Saudi women., Methods: This retrospective study evaluated women diagnosed with non-mucinous OC, fallopian tube, or peritoneal carcinoma who had BRCA status tested in an accredited lab between January 2016 and December 2017. The associations between various parameters and BRCAm were estimated using logistic regression. Statistical analysis performed with SPSS (Version 27)., Result: Sixty-one women with a median age of 52 at diagnosis were analyzed. Germline BRCA mutations were found in 41% of cases (25/61). The most common deleterious germline BRCA1 mutation was c.1140dupG (39%). Most women (72%) had no family history of cancers and 82% had advanced stage. Regardless of BRCA mutations, an optimal overall response rate (ORR) to first-line treatment has been achieved although most cases relapsed (84%) and the majority were platinum-sensitive relapse (85%). Higher ORR to subsequent lines and better survival were obtained in women with BRCA-mutation., Conclusion: The prevalence of BRCAm of OC was higher in Saudi women compared to regional and most of the international figures. The better clinical outcomes of BRCAm women agreed with the reported evidence. Further studies on BRCA mutations of OC and genetic counseling are highly recommended., Trial Registration: Trial approved by the Institutional Review Board of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (RAC # 2171137) and conducted at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO Box 3354, Riyadh 11,211, Saudi Arabia., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is a rare ovarian cancer histotype that tends to be resistant to standard platinum-based chemotherapeutics. We sought to better understand the role of DNA methylation in clinical and biological subclassification of OCCC., Methods: We interrogated genome-wide methylation using DNA from fresh frozen tumors from 271 cases, applied nonsmooth nonnegative matrix factorization (nsNMF) clustering, and evaluated clinical associations and biological pathways., Results: Two approximately equally sized clusters that associated with several clinical features were identified. Compared with Cluster 2 ( N = 137), Cluster 1 cases ( N = 134) presented at a more advanced stage, were less likely to be of Asian ancestry, and tended to have poorer outcomes including macroscopic residual disease following primary debulking surgery ( P < 0.10). Subset analyses of targeted tumor sequencing and IHC data revealed that Cluster 1 tumors showed TP53 mutation and abnormal p53 expression, and Cluster 2 tumors showed aneuploidy and ARID1A/PIK3CA mutation ( P < 0.05). Cluster-defining CpGs included 1,388 CpGs residing within 200 bp of the transcription start sites of 977 genes; 38% of these genes ( N = 369 genes) were differentially expressed across cluster in transcriptomic subset analysis ( P < 10 -4 ). Differentially expressed genes were enriched for six immune-related pathways, including IFNα and IFNγ responses ( P < 10 -6 )., Conclusions: DNA methylation clusters in OCCC correlate with disease features and gene expression patterns among immune pathways., Impact: This work serves as a foundation for integrative analyses that better understand the complex biology of OCCC in an effort to improve potential for development of targeted therapeutics., (©2021 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Objectives: To identify patient factors associated with not receiving a recommendation for adjuvant chemotherapy after primary surgery for ovarian cancer., Methods: This retrospective cohort study used the National Cancer Database (NCDB) data from 2004 to 2015 to identify patients with stage II-III ovarian cancer who underwent primary surgery. Multivariate logistic regression analyses evaluated factors associated with notation in the NCDB that "chemotherapy was not recommended/administered because it was contraindicated due to patient risk factors (i.e., comorbid conditions, advanced age)." Survival data were assessed via Kaplan-Meier analyses., Results: Of the 48,245 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 522 (1.08%) did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy because it was determined to be contraindicated. In multivariate analyses, independent predictors for not receiving a recommendation for adjuvant chemotherapy were age ≥ 70 years old (adjusted odds ratio, aOR = 2.43, p < 0.0001), non-zero Charlson-Deyo comorbidity scores (score 1, aOR = 1.41, p = 0.002; score ≥ 2, aOR = 2.57, p < 0.0001), and Black race (aOR = 2.12, p < 0.0001). For Black patients, recommendation against adjuvant chemotherapy occurred at a younger median age (64.5 years vs. 72 years) and was associated with lower 5-year survival (25.9% vs. 40.3%, p < 0.0001)., Conclusions: Patients with ovarian cancer who underwent surgery but did not receive chemotherapy "because it was contraindicated due to patient risk factors" were older and had higher comorbidity scores. Even after controlling for these differences, Black patients were disproportionately not recommended for chemotherapy, which was associated with worse survival. Determining eligibility for adjuvant chemotherapy requires an individualized approach, and the possible influence of racial bias on risk estimation should be further investigated., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Familial ovarian cancer (OC) cases not harbouring pathogenic variants in either of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 OC-predisposing genes, which function in homologous recombination (HR) of DNA, could involve pathogenic variants in other DNA repair pathway genes., Methods: Whole exome sequencing was used to identify rare variants in HR genes in a BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variant negative OC family of French Canadian (FC) ancestry, a population exhibiting genetic drift. OC cases and cancer-free individuals from FC and non-FC populations were investigated for carrier frequency of FANCI c.1813C>T; p.L605F, the top-ranking candidate. Gene and protein expression were investigated in cancer cell lines and tissue microarrays, respectively., Results: In FC subjects, c.1813C>T was more common in familial (7.1%, 3/42) than sporadic (1.6%, 7/439) OC cases (P = 0.048). Carriers were detected in 2.5% (74/2950) of cancer-free females though female/male carriers were more likely to have a first-degree relative with OC (121/5249, 2.3%; Spearman correlation = 0.037; P = 0.011), suggesting a role in risk. Many of the cancer-free females had host factors known to reduce risk to OC which could influence cancer risk in this population. There was an increased carrier frequency of FANCI c.1813C>T in BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variant negative OC families, when including the discovery family, compared to cancer-free females (3/23, 13%; OR = 5.8; 95%CI = 1.7-19; P = 0.005). In non-FC subjects, 10 candidate FANCI variants were identified in 4.1% (21/516) of Australian OC cases negative for pathogenic variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2, including 10 carriers of FANCI c.1813C>T. Candidate variants were significantly more common in familial OC than in sporadic OC (P = 0.04). Localization of FANCD2, part of the FANCI-FANCD2 (ID2) binding complex in the Fanconi anaemia (FA) pathway, to sites of induced DNA damage was severely impeded in cells expressing the p.L605F isoform. This isoform was expressed at a reduced level, destabilized by DNA damaging agent treatment in both HeLa and OC cell lines, and exhibited sensitivity to cisplatin but not to a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor. By tissue microarray analyses, FANCI protein was consistently expressed in fallopian tube epithelial cells and only expressed at low-to-moderate levels in 88% (83/94) of OC samples., Conclusions: This is the first study to describe candidate OC variants in FANCI, a member of the ID2 complex of the FA DNA repair pathway. Our data suggest that pathogenic FANCI variants may modify OC risk in cancer families., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Abstract: Women with ovarian cancer are reported to fatigue over time. Moderate to severe levels of cancer-related fatigue is fluent in Han Chinese patients with cancer. Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines are recommending exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy to reduce cancer-related fatigue. Exercise is an easy, cost-effective, and non-pharmacological approach. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of nurse-led exercise and cognitive-behavioral care against nurse-led usual care in Han Chinese women of ovarian cancer regarding cancer-related fatigue, depressive symptoms, and sleep quality.Han Chinese women with moderate to severe levels of cancer-related fatigue have received 30 minutes, 5 times/week nurse-led exercise and 60 min/week cognitive-behavioral care (EC cohort, n = 118) or nurse-led usual care regarding educations and recommendations only (UC cohort, n = 126) or have not received nurse-led exercise, cognitive-behavioral care, educations, and recommendations (NC cohort, n = 145) between and after chemotherapy cycles. The Piper Fatigue Scale, the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaires were evaluated at the start and the end of non-pharmacological treatment.At the end of treatment as compared to the start of treatment, only women of EC cohort had decrease Piper Fatigue Scale (5.40 ± 1.49/woman vs 6.06 ± 1.49/woman, P < .0001, q = 4.973) and Zung Self-rating Depression Scale score (48.67 ± 4.24/woman vs 49.93 ± 4.29/woman, P = .001, q = 3.449). Also, at the end of treatment, as compared to the start of treatment, only women of EC cohort have increased Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score (14.76 ± 2.18/woman vs 13.94 ± 2.90/woman, P = .045, q = 3.523). Only exercise and cognitive-behavioral care were successful in a decrease in the numbers of women with depression (the Mandarin Chinese version of the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale score >53, 32 vs 16, P = .015).Nurse-led exercise and cognitive-behavioral care can help Han Chinese women with ovarian cancer to decrease cancer-related fatigue and depression. Also, it can improve the quality of sleep.Evidence Level: 4.Technical Efficacy: Stage 5., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Objective: Considering the clinical evidence of BRAF inhibitors that can treat melanoma patients successfully, we aimed to investigate the status of BRAF mutations of primary mucinous ovarian carcinomas (MOC) in Taiwanese women, and apply the emerging paradigm classification of BRAF mutation groups., Materials and Methods: 20 archived primary MOC samples were analyzed. The BRAF mutations of activation segment (exon 15), CR3 (conserved regions 3), kinase domain of the BRAF gene were analyzed using the highly sensitive BRAF mutant enriched kit (FemtoPath®) with Sanger sequencing method. Additionally, we extended our prior reported data of HER2 aberrations and KRAS mutation into this study in order to compare with the status of BRAF mutation., Results: Of them (n = 20), 16 (80%) harbored BRAF missense mutations. Their mutation profile and case number (n) were categorized as (1) class I: V600E (n=1), V600M (n = 1); (2) class II: A598V (n = 1), T599I (n = 10); (3) class III: none (n = 0); and (4) unclassified variants: S602F (n = 2), T599I/S602F (n = 1). The BRAF S602F is novel. The prevalence of BRAF mutation is significantly higher than either HER2 mutation (80% vs. 35%; p = 0.022) or HER2 amplification (80% vs. 35%; p = 0.022). However, the mutation rates of BRAF and KRAS were not significantly different (80% vs. 60%; p = 0.289)., Conclusion: Activating BRAF mutation, HER2 amplification, HER2 mutation and KRAS mutation were not mutually exclusive. However, they may even have a synergistic effect in tumorigenesis. BRAF mutation is not uncommon in primary MOC of Taiwanese. The BRAF mutant (T599I) stands the majority. We suggested that there was a lower potential response to the existing V600 BRAF inhibitors, but may be responsive to dual BRAF plus MEK inhibitors or single MEK inhibitor. Further studies are warranted to investigate the clinical benefits of newly targeted therapy in recurrent or advanced stage primary MOC patients carrying different classes of BRAF mutation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Little is known about the immune environment of ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) and its impact on various ethnic backgrounds. The aim of this OCCC immune-related gene expression signatures (irGES) study was to address the interaction between tumour and immune environment of ethnically-diverse Asian and Caucasian populations and to identify relevant molecular subsets of biological and clinical importance. Our study included 264 women from three different countries (Singapore, Japan, and the UK) and identified four novel immune subtypes (PD1-high, CTLA4-high, antigen-presentation, and pro-angiogenic subtype) with differentially expressed pathways, and gene ontologies using the NanoString nCounter PanCancer Immune Profiling Panel. The PD1-high and CTLA4-high subtypes demonstrated significantly higher PD1, PDL1, and CTLA4 expression, and were associated with poorer clinical outcomes. Mismatch repair (MMR) protein expression, assessed by immunohistochemistry, revealed that about 5% of OCCCs had deficient MMR expression. The prevalence was similar across the three countries and appeared to cluster in the CTLA4-high subtype. Our results suggest that OCCC from women of Asian and Caucasian descent shares significant clinical and molecular similarities. To our knowledge, our study is the first study to include both Asian and Caucasian women with OCCC and helps to shine light on the impact of ethnic differences on the immune microenvironment of OCCC. © 2021 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland., (© 2021 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.)

Objective: Routine genetic testing for ovarian cancer and identification of germline mutations can help improve early detection of cancer as well as guide treatment. Knowledge of genetic counseling and referral rates for genetic testing has been lower for Black patients, compared to White patients. We aimed to describe the demographics and presence of germline mutations in Black individuals with ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal carcinoma at two large academic institutions., Methods: Fifty-one Black patients with invasive epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal carcinoma were identified via institutional tissue banks over a 20-year time-period. Germline DNA was sequenced using BROCA, a targeted capture and parallel sequencing assay that identified pathogenic germline mutations in ovarian carcinoma susceptibility genes., Results: Germline mutations in ovarian cancer susceptibility genes were found in 25.5% of women, most commonly BRCA1 and BRCA2. This mutation frequency mirrors those previously described among predominantly White populations. Our data suggests there may be an advantage in survival among those with germline mutations, although this was not statistically significant., Conclusions: Given similar frequencies of germline mutations between Black and White patients with ovarian cancer, we conclude that there are not major differences in the genetic predisposition to ovarian carcinoma. Equitable access to genomic advancements including germline and tumor sequencing would facilitate equal access to PARP inhibitors, the standard of care for patients with BRCA mutated advanced ovarian cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The study aimed to screen for PIK3CA gene mutations among Saudi women with Ovarian Cancer. The study included 298 Saudi women with epithelial ovarian cancers (EOC). DNA sequence analysis was employed to screen for the mutations. DNA sequence analysis of a coding region of exon 9 and 20 of PIK3CA gene revealed mutations in 37/298 (12.4%) EOC patients. About 21/37(56.8%) somatic mutations were identified in exons 9, and 16/37(43.2%) in exon 20. All analysed mutations were missense mutations, the frequencies of which varied from 2.7% to 43.2%. PIK3CA mutation was found to be significantly associated with age ( p  = .023), grade ( p  = .001) and histological types ( p  = .032). Only 6.6% of serous carcinomas and 3.8% of endometrioid had PIK3CA mutation. The Mutated PIK3CA gene was significantly involved in the pathogenesis of EOC among Saudi women. PIK3CA gene mutation and overexpression represent important clinical implications for diagnosis, and prognosis, which can be utilised for better EOC management.Impact statement What is already known on this subject? The detailed molecular and genetic phenomenon underlying the progression of these tumours is still unclear. Recently, the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer has been attributed to mutations of PIK3CA. What do the results of this study add? Mutation in the PIK3CA gene leads to altered PI3K/AKT signalling pathways responsible for the progression of the epithelial ovarian cancer. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? The Mutated PIK3CA gene was significantly involved in the pathogenesis of EOC among Saudi women. PIK3CA gene mutation and overexpression represent important clinical implications for diagnosis, and prognosis, which can be utilised for better EOC management.

Background: Genital powder use is more common among African-American women; however, studies of genital powder use and ovarian cancer risk have been conducted predominantly in White populations, and histotype-specific analyses among African-American populations are limited., Methods: We used data from five studies in the Ovarian Cancer in Women of African Ancestry consortium. Participants included 620 African-American cases, 1,146 African-American controls, 2,800 White cases, and 6,735 White controls who answered questions on genital powder use prior to 2014. The association between genital powder use and ovarian cancer risk by race was estimated using logistic regression., Results: The prevalence of ever genital powder use for cases was 35.8% among African-American women and 29.5% among White women. Ever use of genital powder was associated with higher odds of ovarian cancer among African-American women [OR = 1.22; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.97-1.53] and White women (OR = 1.36; 95% CI = 1.19-1.57). In African-American women, the positive association with risk was more pronounced among high-grade serous tumors (OR = 1.31; 95% CI = 1.01-1.71) than with all other histotypes (OR = 1.05; 95% CI = 0.75-1.47). In White women, a significant association was observed irrespective of histotype (OR = 1.33; 95% CI = 1.12-1.56 and OR = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.15-1.66, respectively)., Conclusions: While genital powder use was more prevalent among African-American women, the associations between genital powder use and ovarian cancer risk were similar across race and did not materially vary by histotype., Impact: This is one of the largest studies to date to compare the associations between genital powder use and ovarian cancer risk, overall and by histotype, between African-American and White women., (©2021 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Objective: To determine whether guideline non-adherence is associated with Black race., Methods: A retrospective review of National Cancer Database records of women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer from 2012 to 2016 who identified as "White" or "Black" was performed. Exposure was adherence or non-adherence to National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for treatment. Outcomes were differences in disease characteristics and overall survival in months., Results: Of the 29,948 eligible patients, 93% (n = 27,744) were White and 7% (n = 2204) were Black. Having stage IV disease (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.23-1.70; P < 0.001) and treatment in a comprehensive (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.16-2.15; P = 0.0039) or academic (OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.70-3.12; P < 0.001) treatment facility were associated with Black race. Adherence to guidelines did not predict Black race (OR for adherence 1.0021, 95% CI 0.89-1.13; P = 0.97). Median survival for White patients with adherent care was 63.4 months and 51.4 months for Black patients (P = 0.0001). Median survival for White patients with non-adherent care was 60.5 months and 47.2 months for Black patients (P < 0.0001). Median overall survival was 61.1 months in White patients and 49.3 months in Black patients (P < 0.0001)., Conclusions: Our data suggest that while Black patients and patients who receive non-NCCN guideline directed care have worse survival outcomes, guideline adherence is not independently associated with Black race. We must consider other socioeconomic, environmental and system factors that are contributing to the survival discrepancy in Black patients with ovarian cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest No author present on this article has any conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Germline pathogenic sequence variants (PSVs) in BRCA1 substantially increase risk for developing breast (BC) and ovarian cancer (OvC). Yet, incomplete penetrance suggests that modifier factors affect phenotypic expression of mutant BRCA1 alleles. Analysis of identical BRCA1 PSV carriers of diverse ethnicities may provide further evidence for modifier factors. Female carriers of the 185delAG BRCA1 PSV identified through high-risk clinics in Israel, and Manchester England from 1998-2018 were eligible. Data were retrieved from patients records and confirmed (in Israel) by cross referencing with the Israeli National Cancer Registry. Overall, 2503 female carriers were included: 1715 (71.4%) Ashkenazi Jews (AJ), 201 (8.3%) Iraqi Jews and 383 (15.9%) of mixed ethnicity. In 102 (4.2%) cases ethnicity could not be ascertained. Of Israeli AJ carriers 649 (37.8%), 256 (14.9%) and 62 (3.6%) were diagnosed with BC, OvC or both cancers, respectively. For the Iraqi Jews these frequencies were 76 (37.8%), 43 (21.4%), and 8 (3.98%), respectively. Age at diagnosis of BC in AJ and Iraqi Jews was 46.7 ± 12.3 years and 52.8 ± 12.2 years, respectively (p = 0.001). For OvC age at diagnosis for AJ was 53.5 ± 10.7 years and for Iraqi Jews 50.1 ± 8.8 years (p = 0.0027). No differences in these parameters were noted between English Jews (n = 110) and non-Jews (n = 32). Age at diagnosis of BC and OvC differs between AJ and Iraqi Jews who carry an identical BRCA1 PSV. This finding supports the existence of modifier factors that may be ethnic specific.

Background: This study examined the impact of geographic distance on survival outcomes for patients receiving treatment for ovarian cancer at the only NCI-designated cancer center (NCI-CC) in Kansas., Methods: We identified ovarian cancer patients treated at the University of Kansas Cancer Center between 2010 and 2015. Demographic factors and clinical characteristics were abstracted. The main outcome measure was overall survival according to geographic distance from the institution. Kaplan Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazard models were generated using SAS v9.4., Results: 220 patients were identified. Survival analysis based on distance from the institution demonstrated that patients who lived ≤10 miles from the institution had worse overall survival (p = 0.0207) and were more likely to have suboptimal cytoreductive surgery (p = 0.0276). Lower estimated median income was also associated with a 1.54 increased risk of death, 95% CI (1.031-2.292), p = 0.0347., Conclusions: We determined that ovarian cancer survival disparities exist in our patient population. Lower rates of optimal cytoreductive surgery has been identified as a possible driver of poor prognosis for patients who lived in proximity to our institution., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) is a risk management approach with strong evidence of mortality reduction for women with germline mutations in the tumor suppressor genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA1/2). Few studies to date have evaluated uptake of BSO in women from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds who carry BRCA1/2 mutations. The objective of the UPTAKE study was to explore rates and predictors of risk-reducing BSO among Latinas affected and unaffected with breast cancer who had a deleterious BRCA1/2 mutation. We recruited 100 Latina women with deleterious BRCA1/2 mutations from community hospitals, academic health systems, community, and advocacy organizations. Women completed interviews in Spanish or English. We obtained copies of genetic test reports for participants who provided signed medical release. After performing threefold cross-validation LASSO for variable selection, we used multiple logistic regression to identify demographic and clinical predictors of BSO. Among 100 participants, 68 had undergone BSO at the time of interview. Of these 68, 35 were US-born (61% of all US-born participants) and 33 were not (77% of the non-US-born participants). Among Latinas with BRCA1/2 mutations, older age (p = 0.004), personal history of breast cancer (p = 0.003), higher income (p = 0.002), and not having a full-time job (p = 0.027) were identified as variables significantly associated with uptake of BSO. Results suggest a high rate of uptake of risk-reducing BSO among a sample of Latinas with BRCA1/2 mutations living in the US. We document factors associated with BSO uptake in a diverse sample of women. Relevant to genetic counseling, our findings identify possible targets for supporting Latinas' decision-making about BSO following receipt of a positive BRCA1/2 test., (© 2020 National Society of Genetic Counselors.)

Purpose: Given the lack of research on the left-right asymmetry of ovarian teratoma among Chinese patients, this study aimed to determine the lateral distribution and related clinical characteristics of Chinese ovarian teratoma patients treated at a single center., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of surgical patients pathologically diagnosed with ovarian teratomas in the gynecology inpatient department of the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital in Shanghai between July 2006 and July 2018., Results: Of the 4417 patients with ovarian teratoma, 3835 were finally analyzed. There were 2030 (53.24%) cases of right-sided benign ovarian teratoma versus 1783 (46.76%) cases of left-sided benign teratoma (P < 0.001). The recurrence rate of benign ovarian teratoma was 4.2%; recurrence occurred more often on the left side (left vs. right = 55 vs. 45%, P = 0.033). Compared with the right-sided ovarian teratoma patients, left-sided ones had significantly high recurrence risk (OR 1.430; 95% CI 1.03-1.99). The rate of ovarian torsion in patients with ovarian mature cystic teratomas (MCTs) during intrauterine pregnancy was 3.17 versus 1.72% in non-pregnant MCT patients (P = 0.049). For those MCT patients with intrauterine pregnancy, ovarian torsion occurs more often on the right side (left vs. right = 16.67 vs. 83.33%, P = 0.028)., Conclusion: This study confirms a distinctive right-side dominance of benign ovarian teratomas. Compared with the right side, recurrent ovarian teratomas occur more often on the left side, requiring close follow-up. Intrauterine pregnancy may increase the risk of ovarian torsion, particularly on the right side, in MCT patients.

Objective: To evaluate whether non-adherence to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) treatment guidelines and other factors related to treatment access contribute to racial disparities in ovarian cancer survival., Methods: This large cohort study included patients from the National Cancer Database who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer between 2004 and 2014, with follow-up data up to 2017. The multivariable Cox regression was used to assess the effect of study variables on five-year overall survival. The proportion contributions of prognostic factors to the survival disparities were estimated using individual and sequential adjustment of these factors based on the Cox proportional hazards models., Results: Of the 120,712 patients eligible for this study, 110,032 (91.1%) were whites and 10,680 (8.9%) were blacks. Black patients, compared with their white counterparts, had a lower adherence to NCCN guidelines (60.8% vs. 70.4%, respectively, P < 0.001), and a higher five-year mortality after cancer diagnosis (age- and tumor characteristics- adjusted hazard ratio: 1.22, 95% confidence interval: 1.19-1.25). Non-adherence to NCCN treatment guidelines was the most significant contributor to racial disparity in ovarian cancer survival, followed by access to care and comorbidity, each explaining 36.4%, 22.7%, and 18.2% of the racial differences in five-year overall survival, respectively. These factors combined explain 59.1% of racial survival disparities. Risk factors identified for non-adherence to treatment guidelines among blacks include insurance status, treatment facility type, educational attainment, age, and comorbidity., Conclusions: Adherence status to NCCN treatment guidelines is the most important contributor to the survival disparities between black and white patients with ovarian cancer. Our findings call for measures to promote equitable access to guideline-adherence care to improve the survival of black women with ovarian cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this era of personalisation a patient's molecular profile plays an increasingly central role in development and delivery of personalised medicine. This paper sets out to explore the sociocultural implications of mainstreaming BRCA genetic testing in the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer patients, who carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation. It draws on ethnographic research conducted by between April-June 2016 in a large tertiary London hospital. Participant observation was conducted across two sites. For the first two weeks participant observation was conducted in the traditional genetic testing setting in two separate clinics. From thereon, participant observation was conducted in the clinical encounters of treating patients in the ovarian cancer clinic. In addition, face-to-face interviews were conducted with medical oncologists who worked in the clinic. Contributing to the fields of cancer genetics, personalised medicine and medical material culture studies in medical anthropology the paper seeks to further discussions about the interactions and relationships unfolding between medical objects and subjects across the landscape of cancer care. It highlights the importance of clinic-based ethnography to examine the complexities of identities and technologies as they intersect with the themes of suffering and hope in new and contradictory ways for BRCA-positive patients with late-stage disease. The paper argues that a BRCA mutation is not only central to the political economy of hope but takes on a more materialist nature as it becomes an embodied practice that moves in and beyond the clinic.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of marital status and other demographic factors on survival of patients with ovarian cancer., Study Design: Data were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 2010 to 2015. Analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox proportional hazard methods., Results: Of 19 643 patients with ovarian cancer (median age 60 years, range 18-99), 16 278 (83%), 1381 (7%), 1856 (9%), and 128 (1%) were White, Black, Asian, and Native American, respectively. The majority of patients (10 769, 55%) were married while 4155 (21%) were single, 2278 (12%) were divorced, and 2441 (12%) were widowed. Patients were more likely to be married if they were Asian (65%) or White (56%) than if they were Black (31%) or Native American (39%) (p<0.001). Most married patients were insured (n=9760 (91%), non-Medicaid) compared with 3002 (72%) of single, 1777 (78%) divorced, and 2102 (86%) of widowed patients (p<0.001). Married patients were more likely to receive chemotherapy than single, divorced, and widowed patients (8515 (79%) vs 3000 (72%), 1747 (77%), and 1650 (68%), respectively; p<0.001). The 5-year disease-specific survival of the overall group was 58%. Married patients had improved survival of 60% compared with divorced (52%) and widowed (44%) patients (p<0.001). On multivariate analysis, older age (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.016 to 1.021, p<0.001), Black race (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.38, p<0.001), and Medicaid (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.30, p<0.001) or uninsured status (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.44, p<0.01) carried a worse prognosis. Single (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.26, p<0.001), divorced (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.25, p<0.01), and widowed (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.26, p<0.001) patients had decreased survival., Conclusion: Married patients with ovarian cancer were more likely to undergo chemotherapy with better survival rates. Black, uninsured, or patients with Medicaid insurance had poorer outcomes., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© IGCS and ESGO 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: Mutations in the MAP kinase pathway (KRAS, NRAS, BRAF) are common in low grade serous ovarian carcinoma (LGSOC). The effect of these and other mutations on RNA transcription in this disease is poorly understood. Our objective was to describe patterns of somatic mutations and gene transcription in a racially diverse population with LGSOC., Methods: Utilizing an institutional tumor registry, patients with LGSOC were identified and charts were reviewed. RNA was extracted from available tumor tissue. Commercial tumor profiling results were analyzed with PanCancer pathway nanoString mRNA expression data. Along with nanoString n-Solver software, Chi-squared, Fishers Exact, and Cox proportional hazards models were used for statistical analysis, with significance set at p < 0.05., Results: 39 patients were identified-20% Black, 43% Hispanic, and 36% non-Hispanic White. 18 patients had commercial somatic DNA test results, and 23 had available tumor tissue for RNA extraction and nanoString analysis. The most common somatic alterations identified was KRAS (11 patients, 61%), followed by ERCC1 and TUBB3 (9 each, 50%). KRAS mutations were less common in smokers (14.3% vs 90.9%, p = 0.002). RNA expression analysis demonstrated a greater than two-fold decrease in expression of HRAS in tumors from older patients (p = 0.04), and a greater than two-fold decrease in the expression of HRAS in recurrent tumors (p = 0.007). No significant differences were seen in somatic testing results, RNA expression analysis, or progression free survival between different racial and ethnic cohorts., Conclusions: Somatic deficiencies in ERCC1, TUBB3, and KRAS are common in LGSOC in a population of minority patients. HRAS demonstrates decreased expression in tumors from older patients and recurrent tumors., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest BMS serves on advisory boards for GOG Foundation, Astra Zeneca, AbbVie, Clovis, GSK, Genentech, and Myriad. MH is supported in unrelated research by grants from Merck and Jansen, and serves on advisory boards for Clovis and GSK. The remaining authors have no relevant conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Reports increasingly suggest that Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been used to treat ovarian cancer (OvCa) with a good curative effect; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying CHM are still unclear. In this retrospective study, we explored CHM's molecular targets for the treatment of OvCa based on clinical data and network pharmacology. We used the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis to verify the survival rate of 202 patients with CHM-treated OvCa. The association between CHM and survival time was analyzed by bivariate correlation. A target network of CHM active ingredients against OvCa was established via network pharmacology. Cox regression analysis showed that CHM is an independent favorable prognostic factor. The median survival time was 91 months in the CHM group and 65 months in the non-CHM group. The survival time of FIGO stage III patients in the two groups was 91 months and 52 months, and the median survival period of FIOG stage IV patients was 60 months and 22 months, respectively ( p < 0.001). Correlation analysis demonstrated that 12 herbs were closely associated with prognosis, especially in regard to the long-term benefits. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that the anti-OvCa activity of these 12 herbs occurs mainly through the regulation of apoptosis-related protein expression, which promotes OvCa cell apoptosis and inhibits OvCa development. They also regulate the progress of OvCa treatment by promoting or inhibiting protein expression on the p53 signaling pathway and by inhibiting the NF- κ B signaling pathway by directly inhibiting NF- κ B., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest in this work. We declare that we do not have any commercial or associative interest that represents a conflict of interest in connection with the work submitted., (Copyright © 2020 Jing Sun et al.)

Purpose: Genetic counseling (GC) provides critical risk prediction information to women at-risk of carrying a genetic alternation; yet racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities persist with regard to GC uptake. This study examined patterns of GC uptake after a referral in a racially diverse population. Materials and Methods: In an urban academic medical center, medical records were reviewed between January 2016 and December 2017 for women who were referred to a genetic counselor for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Study outcomes were making an appointment (yes/no) and keeping an appointment. We assessed sociodemographic factors and clinical factors. Associations between factors and the outcomes were analyzed using chi square, and logistic regression was used for multivariable analysis. Results: A total of 510 women were referred to GC and most made appointments. More than half were white (55.3%) and employed (53.1%). No significant associations were observed between sociodemographic factors and making an appointment. A total of 425 women made an appointment and 268 kept their appointment. Insurance status ( p  = 0.003), marital status ( p  = 0.000), and work status ( p  = 0.039) were associated with receiving GC. In the logistic model, being married (odds ratio [OR] 2.119 [95% confidence interval, CI 1.341-3.347] p  = 0.001) and having insurance (OR 2.203 [95% CI 1.208-4.016] p  = 0.021) increased the likelihood of receiving counseling. Conclusions: Racial disparities in GC uptake were not observed in this sample. Unmarried women may need additional support to obtain GC. Financial assistance or other options need to be discussed during navigation as a way to lessen the disparity between women with insurance and those without.

Objective: There has been an increase in the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in recent years. Our objective was to determine if African American women are more likely to receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy than primary debulking surgery, when compared to their Caucasian counterparts, and the impact of such an approach on oncologic outcomes., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed using the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Women aged 18-90 years, diagnosed with stage IIIC or IV epithelial ovarian cancer between January 2010 through December 2014 were included. Women with unknown treatment or treatments outside of neoadjuvant chemotherapy or primary debulking surgery were excluded. Only women of Caucasian, African American, or Hispanic origin who received either neoadjuvant chemotherapy or primary debulking surgery were included; all other races were excluded. Descriptive statistics were computed, and continuous variables were assessed for normality. Groups were compared using ANOVA or non-parametric medians tests for continuous variables, and chi-squared tests were used for dichotomous or categorical variables. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of treatment. A p value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: A total of 19 838 women with stage IIIC and IV epithelial ovarian cancer met the inclusion criteria. A total of 14 988 (75.6%) were treated with primary debulking surgery, while 4850 women (24.4%) were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Of those treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 24.5% were white, 27.0% were African American, and 22.1% were Hispanic (p=0.005), and when adjusted for confounders, being African American was a predictor of receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.29, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.51). Ninety-day mortality rates were higher in African American women compared with Caucasian and Hispanic women (2.9% vs 2.0% vs 1.6%, p=0.013). There were no differences in 30-day mortality, 90-day mortality, or status at last contact in African American women, when comparing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and primary debulking surgery. In Caucasian women, outcomes were worse in women receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy., Conclusions: Compared to other races, African American women with advanced ovarian cancer are more likely to receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy than primary debulking surgery and had a higher 90-day mortality rate. In African American women there was no difference in outcomes based on treatment type., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© IGCS and ESGO 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Studies that have examined the association between cardiovascular comorbidities and epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) have yielded inconsistent results. It remains unknown whether cardiometabolic disease is associated with EOC in African American (AA) women, who have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease and lower risk of EOC than White women. Here, we estimate the effect of cardiovascular comorbid conditions and EOC risk among AA women., Methods: Data were available from 593 ovarian carcinoma patients and 752 controls enrolled in the African American Cancer Epidemiology Study (AACES). Participants were asked to self-report a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes and any current medication use. The relationship between hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and medications taken for these conditions was determined using multivariate logistic regression., Results: Hypertension was associated with an increased risk (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01, 1.73), whereas diabetes and hyperlipidemia were associated with a decreased risk (aOR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.49, 0.91 and aOR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.47, 0.80, respectively) of EOC. Use of anti-diabetic medication was inversely associated with EOC risk, as was use of lipid lowering medications (in the overall study population), which were predominantly statins. Among women with hypertension, use of anti-hypertensive medications was inversely associated with EOC risk, with associations that were most pronounced for diuretics, ARBs and ACE inhibitors., Conclusion: Hypertension was associated with an increased EOC risk in this patient population, whereas an inverse association was observed for diabetes and hyperlipidemia. The decreased risk of EOC identified with use of anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetes or lipid-lowering medications could have implications for risk reduction strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Black women are overrepresented among premenopausal breast cancer (BC) survivors. These patients warrant genetic testing (GT) followed by risk-reducing behaviors. This study documented patterns and predictors of cancer risk-management behaviors among young black BC survivors after GT., Methods: Black women (n = 143) with a diagnosis of BC at the age of 50 years or younger received GT. At 1 year after GT, participants reported receipt of risk-reducing mastectomy, risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy, mammogram, breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), CA125 test, and transvaginal/pelvic ultrasound. Logistic regression was used to examine predictors of BC risk management (risk-reducing mastectomy or breast MRI) and ovarian cancer risk management (risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy, CA125 test, or transvaginal/pelvic ultrasound)., Results: Of the study participants, 16 (11%) were BRCA1/2-positive, 43 (30%) had a variant of uncertain significance, and 84 (59%) were negative. During the 12 months after GT, no women received risk-reducing mastectomy. The majority (93%) received a mammogram, and a smaller proportion received breast MRI (33%), risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (10%), CA125 test (11%), or transvaginal/pelvic ultrasound (34%). Longer time since the BC diagnosis predicted lower likelihood of BC risk management (odds ratio [OR] 0.54). BRCA1/2 carrier status (OR 4.57), greater perceived risk of recurrence (OR 8.03), and more hereditary breast and ovarian cancer knowledge (OR 1.37) predicted greater likelihood of ovarian cancer risk management., Conclusions: Young black BC survivors appropriately received mammograms and ovarian cancer risk management based on their BRCA1/2 test result. However, the low usage of MRI among BRCA1/2 carriers contrasts with national guidelines. Future research should examine barriers to MRI among black BC survivors. Finally, modifiable variables predicting risk management after GT were identified, providing implications for future interventions.

Objective: Low-grade serous carcinoma (LGSC) is a rare histotype of ovarian cancer with a unique disease course. Little data exist regarding the influence of sociodemographic factors on diagnosis and outcomes in this disease. Our objective was to evaluate the associations between these factors and the clinical characteristics, treatment approaches, and survival in LGSC., Methods: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for data between 2004 and 2015 on patients with LGSC. LGSC was inclusive of invasive, grade 1, serous carcinoma of the ovary, fallopian tube, or peritoneum. Patient demographics, insurance status, disease characteristics, treatment approach, and survival were evaluated. ANOVA, Chi Square, Kaplan-Meier, and Cox regression were used in the analysis., Results: 3221 patients with LGSC were evaluated (89.5% White, 6.2% Black; 7.2% Hispanic, 92.8% non-Hispanic). Compared to Whites, Blacks were diagnosed younger (50.4 vs. 55.9 years, p < 0.01), received less chemotherapy (61.8% vs 67.0%, p = 0.04), and had less CA-125 elevation (OR 4.14 [1.26-13.57], p = 0.02). Compared to non-Hispanics, Hispanics were younger (49.5 vs. 55.8 years, p < 0.01) and received less chemotherapy (55% vs 67%, p < 0.001). In contrast to private insurance, government insurance was associated with a higher 30-day mortality (1.5% vs 0.01%, p < 0.001). Race/ethnicity were not predictive of OS, while older age (HR 1.013 [1.002-1.024], p = 0.03), advanced stage (HR 3.09 [2.15-4.43], p < 0.001), and government insurance (HR 2.33 [1.65-3.30], p < 0.001) were all independently associated with worse OS., Conclusions: Significant differences exist in the clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes of LGSC by sociodemographics, with Blacks and Hispanics being diagnosed younger and receiving less chemotherapy. Age, stage, and insurance status were predictive of overall survival., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors of this paper have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Many studies have focused on white and black disparities in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) but fewer include Hispanics. Florida presents a unique opportunity to study racial/ethnic disparities. This study examined racial/ethnic disparities in the overall survival of women with EOC in Florida by histology. All EOC cases from 2001 through 2015 were identified in the Florida Cancer Database System (FCDS). Survival curves by race/ethnicity and histology were generated by Kaplan-Meier methods. Cox regression evaluated the associations between race/ethnicity, histology, and survival. Eligible EOC cases (n = 21,721) identified in the 2001-2015 FCDS were included in the study. The median survival for non-Hispanic whites (NHWs), non-Hispanic blacks (NHBs), and Hispanics was 31, 21, and 35 months, respectively (p < 0.001). NHB had an increased [AHR 1.23 (95% CI 1.15, 1.30)] and Hispanics a nonsignificant decreased hazard [AHR 0.96 (95% CI 0.91, 1.02)] of death compared to NHW after controlling for other demographic, treatment, and tumor characteristics. Relative to NHWs, NBH had worse survival while Hispanics had equivalent survival. Future research should consider evaluating genetic and epigenetic modifications, and prevalence of cancer syndromes to further elucidate the etiologies of disease in these disparate populations.

Objective: To investigate racial disparities in uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS) and ovarian carcinosarcoma (OCS) in Commission on Cancer®-accredited facilities., Methods: Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and non-Hispanic White (NHW) women in the National Cancer Database diagnosed with stage I-IV UCS or OCS between 2004 and 2014 were eligible. Differences by disease site or race were compared using Chi-square test and multivariate Cox analysis., Results: There were 2830 NHBs and 7366 NHWs with UCS, and 280 NHBs and 2586 NHWs with OCS. Diagnosis of UCS was more common in NHBs (11.5%) vs. NHWs (3.7%) and increased with age (P < .0001). OCS diagnosis remained <5% in both races and all ages. NHBs with UCS or OCS were more common in the South and more likely to have a comorbidity score ≥ 1, low neighborhood income and Medicaid or no insurance (P < .0001). Diagnosis at stage II-IV was more common in NHBs than NHWs with UCS but not OCS. NHBs with both UCS and OCS were less likely to undergo surgery and to achieve no gross residual disease with surgery (P = .002). Risk of death in NHB vs. NHW patients with UCS was 1.38 after adjustment for demographic factors and dropped after sequential adjustment for comorbidity score, neighborhood income, insurance status, stage and treatment by 4%, 16%, 7%, 19% and 10%, respectively, leaving 43.5% of the racial disparity in survival unexplained. In contrast, risk of death in NHBs vs. NHWs with OCS was 1.19 after adjustment for demographic factors and became insignificant after adjustment for comorbidity. Race was an independent prognostic factor in UCS but not in OCS., Conclusions: Racial disparities exist in characteristics, treatment and survival in UCS and OCS with distinctions that merit additional research., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Christine Rojas, Chunqiao Tian, Nicholas Bateman, Nathaniel Jones, Craig Shriver, G. Larry Maxwell and Kathleen Darcy have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Matthew Powell reports consulting, honoraria and reimbursement from Tesaro, AstraZeneca, Clovis Oncology, Merck, Abbvie, Jannsen and NRG Oncology/GOG outside the submitted work. John Chan reports consulting, honoraria, reimbursement and is on the Speakers' Bureau for AstraZeneca, Clovis, Tesaro/GSK and Genentech/Roche; honoraria, reimbursement and is on the Speakers' Bureau for Merck; and is consulting for AbbVie, Aceta, Aravive, Biodesix, Eisai, Janssen and Oxigene outside the submitted work. Thomas Conrads reports consulting and a grant from AbbVie outside the submitted work. Rodney Rocconi reports being on the Speakers' Bureau for Genentech and Clovis, and is an expert witness for Johnson & Johnson outside the submitted work. Chad Hamilton reports being on the Speakers' Bureau for Tesaro/GSK and AstraZeneca outside the submitted work. Yovanni Casablanca reports that her spouse is stockholder/shareholder in Celsion Corporation, an oncology company, but this relationship is not associated with this submission., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To determine incidence of ovarian clear cell cancer (OCCC) by race ethnicity and how that relationship is affected by birthplace among Asian Pacific Islanders (API)., Methods: The 18 registries of the U.S. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) dataset were queried to identify all women registered with epithelial ovarian cancer from 1973 to 2013. Relative risks of OCCC to non-OCCC based on ethnicity and birthplace were compared., Results: We identified 72, 501 women with epithelial ovarian cancer in the dataset; of these, 5078 (7.0%) had OCCC and 4859 (6.7%) were API. The age-adjusted incidence rate/100,000 women of OCCC was significantly higher in API women (0.6, 0.5-0.6 95% CI) compared to any other ethnicity. A significantly higher proportion of API women had OCCC (14.5%) compared to their White (6.6%, RR 2.2, p < 0.0001) and Black counterparts (4.3%, RR 3.4, p < 0.0001). The majority of API women were foreign-born (70.8%). The relative risk of clear cell compared to non-clear cell epithelial ovarian cancer was not demonstrably different among foreign born API women with ovarian cancer (RR 1.1, 95% CI 0.9 to 1.3, p = 0.6)., Conclusions: We have demonstrated that, in the US, there is an elevated risk of OCCC associated with API ethnicity. Place of birth does not appear to significantly modify the association, suggesting that the increased risk of OCCC in API women may not be affected by acculturation or environmental exposure. Future research exploring the complex relationships between ethnicity and risk of malignancy will be important as we make progress in understanding disease process and treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Although ovarian cancer is a deadly disease, approximately a third of women survive ≥9 years after diagnosis. The factors associated with achieving long-term survival are not well understood. In this study, data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program were used to determine predictors of survival trajectories among women with epithelial ovarian cancer and across histotype (high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) and non-HGSC)., Methods: Data on 35,868 women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer in 2004-2016 were extracted from SEER. Extended Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate overall and histotype-specific associations between patient and tumor characteristics and all-cause mortality within each survival time (t) interval (t < 3, 3 ≤ t < 6, 6 ≤ t < 9, and 9 ≤ t < 13 years)., Results: Age at diagnosis, marital status, race/ethnicity, stage, and surgery were more strongly associated with mortality in the short-term survival period, and these associations waned with increasing survival time. Exceptions to this pattern were age >70 years at diagnosis, where a high risk of mortality was observed in both the t < 3 and t ≥ 9 year time periods, and non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islanders, where a more pronounced inverse association with mortality was observed in t ≥ 9 years after diagnosis. Similar associations were observed for HGSC, although the waning effect was not apparent for most characteristics. Mortality associations for non-HGSC were more pronounced for stage and race/ethnicity, primarily for non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islanders., Conclusions: Most patient and tumor characteristics were more strongly associated with mortality in the years following diagnosis, but have declining impact with increasing survival time. Given this waning effect, it is critical to identify factors impacting risk of mortality as ovarian cancer patients advance through the survival trajectory., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Dr. Sood has received research funding from M-Trap, has consulted for Merck and Kiyatec, and is a shareholder in BioPath. All other co-authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Germline BRCA mutation rates in the Latina population are yet to be well described. We aimed to quantitate the rates of referral for genetic testing in qualifying women and testing completion rates in a population of women presenting for gynecologic oncology care. Results were then stratified by ethnic/racial background., Methods: Charts of new patients evaluated at a comprehensive cancer center in Southern California were reviewed. Patients qualifying for genetic testing in accordance with NCCN Guidelines version 1.2017 for breast and/or ovarian cancer genetic assessment were identified. The actual rates of prescriptions for genetic testing placed, testing completion rates, test results, as well as patients' family history were abstracted. Data were analyzed with chi-square tests., Results: Five hundred and seventy-two of 2,053 patients met testing criteria, and 256/572 (45%) were prescribed testing in accordance with the guidelines. By ethnicity, testing was prescribed in 44% of Non-Hispanic White (NHW), 44% of Latina, 46% of African-American, and 60% of Asian (p = 0.6) patients. Testing was completed in 65% of NHW, 66% of Latina, 65% of African-American, and 67% of Asian patients (p = 0.97). Completion rates were low overall: 28% of those who met testing criteria were tested (p = 0.85). Pathogenic BRCA mutations were found in 29% of NHW and 21% of Latina, 45% of African-American, and 20% of Asian patients (p = 0.4)., Conclusions: There was no difference by ethnicity in rates of testing prescription, completion, or presence of BRCA mutations. Overall, testing rates were suboptimal. BRCA mutations were found in large percentage of Latinas (21%). Further studies are underway to identify barriers to testing prescriptions and completion for Latina women., (© 2020 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Discrimination and trust are known barriers to accessing health care. Despite well-documented racial disparities in the ovarian cancer care continuum, the role of these barriers has not been examined. This study evaluated the association of everyday discrimination and trust in physicians with a prolonged interval between symptom onset and ovarian cancer diagnosis (hereafter referred to as prolonged symptom duration)., Methods: Subjects included cases enrolled in the African American Cancer Epidemiology Study, a multisite case-control study of epithelial ovarian cancer among black women. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations of everyday discrimination and trust in physicians with a prolonged symptom duration (1 or more symptoms lasting longer than the median symptom-specific duration), and it controlled for access-to-care covariates and potential confounders., Results: Among the 486 cases in this analysis, 302 women had prolonged symptom duration. In the fully adjusted model, a 1-unit increase in the frequency of everyday discrimination increased the odds of prolonged symptom duration 74% (OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.22-2.49), but trust in physicians was not associated with prolonged symptom duration (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.66-1.11)., Conclusions: Perceived everyday discrimination was associated with prolonged symptom duration, whereas more commonly evaluated determinants of access to care and trust in physicians were not. These results suggest that more research on the effects of interpersonal barriers affecting ovarian cancer care is warranted., (© 2019 American Cancer Society.)

Purpose: Although the incidence rate of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is somewhat lower in African American (AA) than white women, survival is worse. The Ovarian Cancer in Women of African Ancestry (OCWAA) consortium will overcome small, study-specific sample sizes to better understand racial differences in EOC risk and outcomes., Methods: We harmonized risk factors and prognostic characteristics from eight U.S., Studies: the North Carolina Ovarian Cancer Study (NCOCS), the Los Angeles County Ovarian Cancer Study (LACOCS), the African American Cancer Epidemiology Study (AACES), the Cook County Case-Control Study (CCCCS), the Black Women's Health Study (BWHS), the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), the Multiethnic Cohort Study (MEC), and the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS)., Results: Determinants of disparities for risk and survival in 1,146 AA EOC cases and 2,922 AA controls will be compared to 3,368 white EOC cases and 10,270 white controls. Analyses include estimation of population-attributable risk percent (PAR%) by race., Conclusion: OCWAA is uniquely positioned to study the epidemiology of EOC in AA women compared with white women to address disparities. Studies of EOC have been underpowered to address factors that may explain AA-white differences in the incidence and survival. OCWAA promises to provide novel insight into disparities in ovarian cancer.

Purpose: To examine ovarian cancer survivors' adherence to evidence-based guidelines for preventive health care., Methods: A case-control, retrospective study of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries diagnosed with stage I, II, or III epithelial ovarian cancer from 2001 to 2010 using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database. Survivors were matched 1:1 to non-cancer controls from the 5% Medicare Beneficiary file on age, race, state of residence, and follow-up time. Receipt of flu vaccination, mammography, and bone density tests were examined in accordance with national guidelines. Adherence was assessed starting 1 year after cancer diagnosis, across 2 years of claims. Interaction with the health care system, including outpatient and cancer surveillance visits, was tested as a potential mechanism for receipt of services., Results: 2437 survivors met the eligibility criteria (mean age, 75; 90% white). Ovarian cancer survivors were more likely to be adherent to flu vaccination (5 percentage points (pp); < 0.001) and mammography guidelines (10 pp.; < 0.001) compared to non-cancer controls, but no differences were found for bone density test guidelines (- 1 pp.; NS). Black women were less likely to be adherent to flu vaccination and bone density tests compared with white women. Women dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid were less likely to be adherent compared to those without such support. Adherence was not influenced by measures of outpatient visits., Conclusion: Ovarian cancer survivors are receiving preventive services with the same or better adherence than their matched counterparts. Minority and dual-eligible survivors received preventive services at a lower rate than white survivors and those with higher income. The number of outpatient visits was not associated with increased preventive health visits., Implications for Cancer Survivors: Ovarian cancer survivors are receiving adequate follow-up care to be adherent to preventive health measures. Efforts to improve care coordination post-treatment may help reduce minority and low SES disparities.

Objective: To compare referral patterns, genetic testing and pathogenic variant rates in Black women (BW) and White women (WW) in a large academic Gynecologic Cancer Risk Assessment Clinic (GCRAC)., Methods: Cross sectional study of an IRB-approved prospective, cohort study from a GCRAC. Data evaluated included: age, race, referral provider specialty and indication, genetic testing frequency, as well as frequency and types of pathogenic variants., Results: 588 WW and 57 BW were evaluated from 1/2010-12/2015. Although approximately one-third of BW and WW were referred for family history alone, referral indications varied. BW were more likely referred for a known pathogenic variant (20.0% vs. 6.2%) although less likely referred for a personal history of ovarian cancer (24.0% vs. 46.8%; p = 0.0023). While gynecologic oncologists referred most patients (BW 43.6% vs. WW 63.0%), BW were more likely to be referred by surgical oncologist (23.0% vs. 12.8%) or genetic counselor (12.8% vs. 5.9%) than WW (p = 0.0234). Referral from non-OBGYN primary care providers was <3% in both groups. Genetic testing rates were similar in both races (82.4% vs. 85.5%). Rates of BRCA1 mutations (12.7% vs. 11.5%) were similar; however, BW had more BRCA2 mutations (21.3% vs. 9.5%; p = 0.0194)., Conclusions: Since BW are more likely to be referred by surgical oncology or genetics counselor, breast clinics might be an entry point to ensure genetic counseling and testing. Continued efforts to increase awareness regarding the importance of patient referral at the primary care level may help identify the subset of women not currently undergoing counseling and testing., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To examine the trends of epithelial ovarian cancer histologic subtypes in Japan., Methods: A nationwide retrospective registry study was performed between 2002 and 2015 (Japan cohort, n = 48,640). Trends were also examined in The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (US cohort, n = 49,936). Time-specific proportional changes of four major histological subtypes (serous, clear cell, endometrioid, and mucinous) were examined., Results: The Japan cohort had more stage I disease (44.1% versus 24.9%) and less stage IV disease (10.0% versus 23.1%) than the US cohort (P < 0.001). The Japan cohort had more non-serous histology, particularly clear cell carcinoma (26.9% versus 8.4%), than the US cohort (P < 0.001). In the Japan cohort, proportion of clear cell carcinoma increased significantly from 23.4% to 29.1% between 2002 and 2010 (P < 0.001). Among stage I disease, clear cell carcinoma increased significantly in the Japan cohort from 32.9% to 40.3% between 2002 and 2015 (P < 0.001), whereas mucinous carcinoma increased significantly in the US cohort from 15.0% to 24.8% (P = 0.01). In 2015, clear cell carcinoma was most common among women aged <50 years from the Japan cohort (30.2%) versus serous carcinoma in the US cohort (50.8%). In the Japan cohort, the peak age was 75 years for serous, 57 for clear cell, and 45 for endometrioid carcinoma (P < 0.001). Mucinous carcinoma decreased until 43 years and increased again after age 73 years (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: Characteristics of epithelial ovarian cancer in Japan are largely different compared to the US. In Japan, clear cell carcinoma has increased significantly in recent years to account for nearly 30% of epithelial ovarian cancer., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Germline BRCA1/2 mutations account for approximately 15% of invasive ovarian carcinomas. Referral of all women with non-mucinous epithelial tubo-ovarian and peritoneal cancer, especially high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) to genetic services for genetic counselling and subsequent BRCA testing, has become standard of care in many countries. Publicly funded BRCA testing was restricted to women ≤70 years old with HGSC in New Zealand for most of our study period. Referral rates of women with HGSC for BRCA mutation testing in New Zealand have not previously been reported., Aims: To determine the proportion of eligible patients with tubo-ovarian or peritoneal HGSC referred to Auckland Gynaecologic Oncology Centre who were referred for genetic counselling. To determine the number of patients who underwent BRCA1/2 genetic testing and the rate of germline BRCA mutations., Methods: Eligible cases were identified from Auckland Gynaecologic Oncology multidisciplinary meetings database from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2014. Genetic referrals sent were checked against the genetic services database to ensure that referrals were received. Genetic counselling clinic attendance, uptake and results of genetic testing were also collected., Results: One hundred and four eligible patients were identified with 58 patients referred. Referral rates increased from 37.5% in 2012 to 64.3% in 2014. Of the 58 patients referred, 53 attended genetic counselling, and 49 underwent BRCA mutation testing, of whom 10 (20.4%) tested positive for a germline BRCA mutation., Conclusion: Overall, 55.8% of eligible patients were referred for genetic testing; however, referral rates increased with time. This BRCA mutation-positive rate is comparable with current international data., (© 2019 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.)

Objective: To describe disparities in patterns of hospice use and end-of-life costs among ovarian cancer patients., Methods: Using Texas Cancer Registry-Medicare data, ovarian cancer patients deceased 2005-2012 with >12 months of continuous Medicare coverage before death were included. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regressions were used to evaluate patterns of hospice use. Cost and resource utilization was obtained from Medicare claims and analyzed using a non-parametric Mann-Whitney test., Results: 2331 patients were assessed: 1788 (77%) white, 359 (15%) Hispanic, 158 (7%) black and 26 (1%) other. 1756 (75%) enrolled in hospice prior to death but only 1580 (68%) died with hospice. 176 (10%) of 1756 patients unenrolled and died without hospice. 346 (20%) unenrolled from hospice multiple times. From 2008 to 2012, patients were less likely to unenroll from hospice prior to death. Black patients were more likely to unenroll from hospice prior to death (OR 2.07 [1.15-3.73]; p = 0.02) compared to white patients. The median amount paid by Medicare during the last six months of life was $38,530 for those in hospice compared to $49,942 if never enrolled in hospice (p < 0.0001) and was higher for black and Hispanic patients compared to white patients. 30% hospice unenrolled patients and 40% multiply enrolled hospice patients received at least one life extending or invasive care procedure following unenrollment from hospice., Conclusion: Recently, more patients remain enrolled in hospice, but black patients have a higher risk of unenrollment. Hospice enrollment was associated with lower costs as long as a patient did not unenroll from hospice., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)