Table 4.
Survey results regarding the question about the main barriers to ovarian cancer care
| Main barriers | Total Yes, n (%) |
High- income Yes, n (%) |
Upper-middle income Yes, n (%) |
Lower-middle/ low-income Yes, n (%) |
P value (χ 2 ) |
| Patient factors (elderly, frail, medical co-morbidities) | 662 (62.5) | 338 (69.5) | 165 (54.5) | 159 (58.9) | <0.01 |
| Disease factors (late stage disease/large tumor burden at diagnosis) | 735 (69.4) | 288 (59.3) | 219 (72.3) | 228 (84.4) | <0.01 |
| Diagnostic factors (lack of access to diagnostic procedures: radiology, pathology) | 219 (20.7) | 24 (4.9) | 91 (30.0) | 104 (38.5) | <0.01 |
| Diagnostic factors (lack of expertise: radiologists, pathologists) | 140 (13.2) | 17 (3.5) | 51 (16.8) | 72 (26.7) | <0.01 |
| Treatment factors: lack of surgical expertise | 200 (18.9) | 45 (9.3) | 69 (22.8) | 86 (31.9) | <0.01 |
| Treatment factors: lack of surgical time, surgical equipment, support staff | 276 (26.1) | 91 (18.7) | 88 (29.0) | 97 (35.9) | <0.01 |
| Treatment factors: lack of medical oncology expertise | 89 (8.4) | 16 (3.3) | 29 (9.6) | 44 (16.3) | <0.01 |
| Treatment factors: lack of access to chemotherapy or systemic agents | 198 (18.7) | 27 (5.6) | 81 (26.7) | 90 (33.3) | <0.01 |
| Peri-operative care (lack of ICU beds, critical care staff, equipment) | 239 (22.6) | 65 (13.4) | 77 (25.4) | 97 (35.9) | <0.01 |
| Genetic service access (lack of resources for BRCA/HRD testing) | 371 (35.0) | 39 (8.0) | 153 (50.5) | 179 (66.3) | <0.01 |
| Social factors (patient travel, distance, social support systems) | 443 (41.8) | 120 (24.7) | 143 (47.2) | 180 (66.7) | <0.01 |
| Cost of treatment | 365 (34.5) | 57 (11.7) | 121 (39.9) | 187 (69.3) | <0.01 |
| Patient preference (for no treatment or alternative treatments) | 223 (21.1) | 102 (21.0) | 38 (12.5) | 83 (30.7) | <0.01 |