Specialized care results in better outcomes for ovarian cancer patients

Ovarian cancer patients are operated more adequately by specialized gynaecologists and survive longer after treatment in specialized hospitals. Floor Vernooij and colleagues conclude this in a review of literature on this subject (published in June in Gynecologic Oncology 105(3):801-12).

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynaecological malignancy in the developed world. Most ovarian cancer patients are treated in general hospitals but academic and oncologic (or specialized) hospitals claim that they achieve better results in ovarian cancer treatment. Indeed, several studies showed that the results of surgery were better when a patient was operated by a gynaecologist specialized in oncological care: these specialists succeeded twice as often in removing all tumor as general gynaecologists. Furthermore, most studies showed that patients treated in specialised hospitals survived longer than patients treated in non-specialized hospitals. None of the studies demonstrated the opposite relationship between specialisation and outcomes.

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