Objective Socioeconomic status may impact survival in cancer patients. This study assessed whether low socioeconomic status has an impact on survival in patients with ovarian cancer and investigated whether differences in survival may be explained by type of therapy received.

Methods The study population comprised 318 patients with ovarian cancer diagnosed between 2011 and 2015 in the François Baclesse regional cancer care center in Caen, North-West France. Socioeconomic status was assessed by using the European deprivation index and overall survival was calculated at 3 years.

Results The unadjusted 3-year overall survival rate was 52% (95% CI 47 to 58). In a multivariable logistic regression model, a low socioeconomic status was associated with a lower probability of surgical resection (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.74). A high socioeconomic status was associated with improved survival, adjusted for age, performance status, grade, and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (adjusted HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.26). When adjusting for treatment variables, there was no longer any significant difference in survival according to socioeconomic status (adjusted HR 1.24, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.84).

Conclusions Higher socioeconomic status is associated with a greater probability of undergoing surgical resection and with improved survival in patients with ovarian cancer.