Beyond survival: Understanding unmet needs among a diverse cohort of ovarian cancer survivors.

5578 Background: Improvements in therapy have resulted in a growing population of ovarian cancer survivors, with both incidence and survivorship increasing among non-White racial and ethnic groups. Despite increasing survivors, supportive care for ovarian cancer survivors has been reported as insufficient. Existing instruments to address survivorship needs were developed in homogenous populations, predominantly consisting of White patients. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the needs and experiences in a diverse cohort of ovarian cancer survivors. Methods: Structured focus groups of ovarian cancer survivors were conducted at a single academic NCI-designated cancer center. During focus groups, participants were guided in discussion about their experience, perspective, and unmet needs as an ovarian cancer survivor. The topics were developed in consultation by providers involved in direct ovarian cancer research and patient care. Thematic analysis was used to systematically code and analyze focus group transcripts, allowing for identification of recurrent patterns and themes within the data. Results: Three focus groups of 20 patients were conducted. 12 (60%) patients identified as White, 4 (20%) as Asian, 3 (15%) as Black, and 1(5%) as Hispanic; additional patient characteristics are in Table 1. Participants generally reported their care during treatment was efficient and streamlined; however, gaps in survivorship care emerged. Key themes included poor care coordination with non-oncologic providers, feelings of abandonment after active treatment, limited communication about long-term expectations after surgery and/or chemotherapy, lack of individualized care plans, and uncertainty about where to find reliable resources. Suggested improvements included centralized access to survivorship resources, expanded peer support opportunities, and more tailored, patient-specific communication. Conclusions: The study highlights specific gaps in ovarian cancer survivorship among a diverse patient population. Deficits in care coordination, individualized communication, and access to tailored resources may contribute to feelings of abandonment and uncertainty following treatment. Targeted survivorship interventions addressing these areas may help to improve quality of life among an increasingly diverse population of ovarian cancer survivors. Focus group characteristics (N=20). Patient Characteristics # of Participants Age Range (Years) <50 4 50-59 7 60+ 9 Time Since Diagnosis (years) >10 2 5-10 4 3-5 2 <3 12