Observational StudyDOD Long-Term Survivors of Ovarian Cancer

: Stages III and IV serum ovarian cancer are the most lethal of all gynecologic cancers; however, some advanced-stage ovarian cancer patients are long-term survivors. These patients may provide the key to long-term survival and bring hope to all women with Stages III and IV ovarian cancer. There is no meaningful explanation of why some patients with ovarian cancer become long-term survivors and what their quality of life is long after their initial diagnosis. This research project will specifically determine molecular features within tumors along with genetic, quality of life, and lifestyle features that predict for long-term survival for patients with Stages III and IV ovarian cancer. It will bring together sophisticated molecular techniques, researchers with longstanding interest, a wide spectrum of consumer advocates (a number being long-term survivors), and quality of life experts to analyze the most carefully maintained patient database in the world-the Gynecologic Oncology Group database. We anticipate the results from this project will identify specific biochemical pathways and genetic features associated with long-term survival that can be used to improve the treatment, survival, and survivorship of patients with this disease. There is clearly something unique among patients who survive Stage III or IV ovarian cancer long term, and we believe that when we understand what this is, we can increase the number of long- and longer-term survivors.