Oncologists base prognosis, the predicted long-term outcome of an individual’s cancer, on the chances of recovery versus the chances of experiencing a recurrence or failure to respond to interventions. A clear understanding of prognosis can significantly influence treatment planning, lifestyle, and overall quality of life of a cancer patient. Thus, ongoing research to uncover, validate, and optimize the predictive accuracy of prognostic factors, modifiable or non-modifiable characteristics that help estimate prognosis, has significant value to areas of cancer treatment and care.
A meta-analysis recently published in the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer evaluated the value of different prognostic factors for epithelial ovarian cancer, an aggressive and deadly cancer occurring in the tissue lining women’s ovaries.
Epithelial ovarian cancer represents a highly fatal disease, with an estimated 19,680 new cases and 12,740 deaths in the United States in 2024. Diagnosis of ovarian cancer remains challenging, and as a result, most women with ovarian cancer have advanced-stage disease. Once advanced, ovarian cancer may spread into the peritoneum, the tissue lining the abdominal wall and pelvic cavity, making it difficult to identify small lesions and fully assess the condition.
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