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Meta-Analysis
. 2019 Aug;154(2):420-425.
doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2019.05.013. Epub 2019 Jun 19.

Differences in presentation and survival of Asians compared to Caucasians with ovarian cancer: An NRG Oncology/GOG Ancillary study of 7914 patients

Katherine C Fuh  1 , James J Java  2 , John K Chan  3 , Daniel S Kapp  4 , Bradley J Monk  5 , Robert A Burger  6 , Robert C Young  7 , David S Alberts  8 , William P McGuire  9 , Maurie Markman  10 , Jeffrey Bell  11 , Robert F Ozols  12 , Deborah K Armstrong  13 , Carol Aghajanian  14 , Michael A Bookman  15 , Robert S Mannel  16
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Differences in presentation and survival of Asians compared to Caucasians with ovarian cancer: An NRG Oncology/GOG Ancillary study of 7914 patients

Katherine C Fuh et al. Gynecol Oncol. 2019 Aug.

Abstract

Purpose: To compare patient/tumor characteristics and outcomes of Asians to Caucasian patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methods: Ancillary data were pooled and analyzed from ten prospective randomized front-line Gynecologic Oncology Group clinical trials from 1996 to 2011. Demographic, clinicopathologic features, disease-specific and all-cause survival were analyzed.

Results: Of 7914 patients, 7641 were Caucasian and 273 Asian. When compared to Caucasians, Asians were younger at trial enrollment, had a better performance status, earlier-stage cancers (17.2% vs. 8.1% with stage I; p < 0.001), and were more likely to be of clear cell (15.8% vs. 6.2%, p < 0.001) and mucinous (3.3% vs. 1.9%, p < 0.001) histology. Asians had an improved 5-year disease-specific survival of 54.1% compared to 46.1% for Caucasians, p = 0.001. In multivariate analysis, the Asian race remained a significant prognostic factor for all-cause survival (HR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.72-0.99; p = 0.04). Other factors predictive of improved survival included younger age, better performance status, optimal cytoreduction, earlier stage, non-clear cell histology, and lower grade tumors.

Conclusion: Asians enrolled into phase III ovarian cancer clinical trials were younger, with better performance status, earlier-stage of disease, and have a greater number of clear cell and mucinous tumors. After adjusting for these prognostic factors, Asians have a better survival compared to Caucasians.

Keywords: Bevacizumab; Body mass index; Clear cell; Pharmacogenomics; Racial differences; Survival outcomes.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Clinical and demographic information on study population. A) Age, BMI, Performance status (PS), B) Stage, grade, clear cell, serous histology compared between Asians and Caucasians.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) of Asians compared to Caucasians. Asians had an improved 5-year DSS of 54% compared to 46% for Caucasians (p = 0.001).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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