An international assessment of ovarian cancer incidence and mortality

Gynecol Oncol. 2013 Jul;130(1):107-14. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2013.03.026. Epub 2013 Apr 2.

Abstract

Objective: To assess and characterize the temporal variation in ovarian cancer incidence and mortality by age within countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.

Methods/materials: Data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program in the United States (U.S.) were used to assess ovarian cancer incidence rates (1998-2008) and mortality rates, (1988-2007 for 12-month survival, 1988-2006 for 24-month survival, and 1988-2003 for 60-month survival), stratified by age at diagnosis. Data from GLOBOCAN were used to calculate country-specific incidence rates for 2010 and 2020 and case-fatality rates for 2010.

Results: A statistically significant decrease in Annual Percent Change (APC) of ovarian cancer incidence was observed in the U.S. for all women (-1.03%), among women who were diagnosed at <65 years of age (-1.09%) and among women who were diagnosed at ≥65 years of age (-0.95%). There was a statistically significant increase in the observed APC for survival at 12-months (0.19%), 24-months (0.58%), and 60-months (0.72%) for all women; however, 5-year survival for advanced stage (III or IV) disease was low at less than 50% for women <65 years and less than 30% for women ≥65 years. Global results showed a wide range in ovarian cancer incidence rates, with China exhibiting the lowest rates and the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom exhibiting the highest rates.

Conclusions: Ovarian cancer survival has shown modest improvement from a statistical perspective in the U.S. However, it is difficult to ascertain how clinically relevant these improvements are at the population or patient level.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Asia / epidemiology
  • China / epidemiology
  • Europe / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Middle Aged
  • Oceania / epidemiology
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / mortality
  • SEER Program
  • United States / epidemiology