Older women as the focus for research and treatment of ovarian cancer. An overview for the National Institute on Aging, National Cancer Institute, and American Cancer Society Multidisciplinary Working Conference

Management and Survival of Elderly and Very Elderly Patients with Ovarian Cancer: An Age-Stratified Study of 1123 Women from the FRANCOGYN Group

Elderly women with ovarian cancer are often undertreated due to a perception of frailty. We aimed to evaluate the management of young, elderly and very elderly patients and its impact on survival in a retrospective multicenter study of women with ovarian cancer between 2007 to 2015. We included 979 women: 615 women (62.8%) <65 years, 225 (22.6%) 65–74 years, and 139 (14.2%) ≥75 years. Women in the 65–74 years age group were more likely to have serous ovarian cancer (p = 0.048). Patients >65 years had more >IIa FIGO stage: 76% for <65 years, 84% for 65–74 years and 80% for ≥75 years (p = 0.033). Women ≥75 years had less standard procedures (40% (34/84) vs. 59% (104/177) for 65–74 years and 72% (384/530) for <65 years (p < 0.001). Only 9% (13/139) of women ≥75 years had an Aletti score >8 compared with 16% and 22% for the other groups (p < 0.001). More residual disease was found in the two older groups (30%, respectively) than the younger group (20%) (p < 0.05). Women ≥75 years had fewer neoadjuvant/adjuvant cycles than the young and elderly women: 23% ≥75 years received <6 cycles vs. 10% (p = 0.003). Univariate analysis for 3-year Overall Survival showed that age >65 years, FIGO III (HR = 3.702, 95%CI: 2.30–5.95) and IV (HR = 6.318, 95%CI: 3.70–10.77) (p < 0.001), residual disease (HR = 3.226, 95%CI: 2.51–4.15; p < 0.001) and lymph node metastasis (HR = 2.81, 95%CI: 1.91–4.12; p < 0.001) were associated with lower OS. Women >65 years are more likely to have incomplete surgery and more residual disease despite more advanced ovarian cancer. These elements are prognostic factors for women’s survival regardless of age. Specific trials in the elderly would produce evidence-based medicine and guidelines for ovarian cancer management in this population.

Management of ovarian cancer in patients older than 80 years of Age

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to examine the treatment, associated morbidity, and survival in very elderly patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of patients 80 years of age and older treated for epithelial ovarian cancer by the Gynecologic Oncology faculty at the University of California Irvine was performed.

RESULTS

Eighteen patients were older than 80 years of age at the time of diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Median age was 83 years (range 80-86 years). There were 2 stage I, 10 stage IIIC, 4 stage VI, and 2 unstaged patients. One patient had a tumor of low malignant potential, 4 patients had grade II tumors, and 10 patients had tumors that were grade III. Eighty-three percent of patients had one or more preexisting medical illnesses. Cardiac disease, stroke, and hypertension were most common. Sixteen of 18 patients (88%) underwent primary debulking surgery. American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification was as follows: 7/16 (44%) class II, 6/16 (38%) class III, and 2/16 (13%) class IV. The procedures performed included 16 bilateral salpingo-oophorectomies, 11 total abdominal hysterectomies, 16 omentectomies, 3 lymph node dissections, and 7 bowel resections. Four (25%) patients were optimally cytoreduced to <1 cm of residual disease. Seventy-five percent of surgical patients received blood transfusions of 2 or more units PRBC. Mean EBL was 600 cc (range 200-4200 cc). Thirty-eight percent of patients experienced major postoperative morbidity. There were 7 patients with postoperative congestive heart failure, 3 with sepsis, 1 with aspiration pneumonia, and 2 postoperative deaths. Seventy-five percent of patients spent time in the intensive care unit. Median number of days was 3 (range 1-22 days). Mean postoperative stay was 8 days (range 6-57 days). Sixty-five percent of patients were discharged to home. The other patients were discharged to intermediate care facilities or nursing homes. Eighty-three percent of patients received chemotherapy. Of the 10 patients (63%) receiving adjuvant chemotherapy, the mean interval from surgery to initiation of therapy was 3 weeks (range 1-4 weeks). Overall median survival was 6 months (range 1-45 months). Median survival in patients with optimal debulking was 32.5 months (range 7-45 months) compared to 3.5 months (range 1-41 months) in patients suboptimally debulked.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients older than 80 years of age who undergo debulking surgery for ovarian cancer, serious medical comorbidity and advanced ASA status are common. Despite aggressive surgical effort and frequent blood transfusions, optimal debulking to less than 1 cm is achieved in only 25% of patients. Impressive morbidity and mortality occurs in this group of patients, but most patients are discharged to home and are able to receive postoperative chemotherapy.