Racism, COVID-19, and Health Inequity in the USA: a Call to Action.

The current national COVID-19 mortality rate for Black Americans is 2.1 times higher than that of Whites. In this commentary, we provide historical context on how structural racism undergirds multi-sector policies which contribute to racial health inequities such as those highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Is comprehensive surgical staging needed for thorough evaluation of early-stage ovarian carcinoma?

Objective: Patients with ovarian cancer may have occult metastasis at the time of surgery. Our purpose was to determine the prevalence and sites of occult metastasis in epithelial ovarian cancer grossly confined to the ovary and examine the significance of routine omentectomy and peritoneal biopsies as part of a comprehensive staging procedure.

Study Design: Data were retrospectively abstracted from patients presenting to University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Hospitals from 1993 through 2009 with ovarian cancer without gross spread beyond the ovary who underwent comprehensive surgical staging.

Improved survival in non-Ashkenazi Jewish ovarian cancer patients with BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations.

Objectives: Previous studies report a survival advantage in ovarian cancer patients with Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) breast cancer gene (BRCA) founder mutations. The purpose of this study was to determine if this association exists in patients with non-Ashkenazi Jewish (non-AJ) BRCA mutations. We also sought to account for "survival bias" by minimizing lead time that may exist between diagnosis and genetic testing.

Secondary cytoreductive surgery for recurrent platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer.

Objective: To determine the risks and benefits of secondary cytoreductive surgery for recurrent platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer.

Methods: Data were obtained retrospectively for all women with recurrent platinum-sensitive epithelial ovarian cancer who underwent a second debulking operation between 1998 and 2008 at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Survival analysis and comparisons were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and Cox multivariate proportional hazards model.