Ovarian cancer incidence statistics

Ovarian cancer is the 6th most common cancer in females in the UK, accounting for 4% of all new cancer cases in females (2015).[1-4]

Ovarian cancer incidence rates (European age-standardised (AS) rates ) are similar to the UK average in all the UK constituent countries.

Ovarian Cancer (C56-C57.4), Number of New Cases, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population, Females, UK, 2015

95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits   around the AS Rate

For ovarian cancer, like most cancer types, differences between countries largely reflect risk factor prevalence in years past.

Ovarian cancer incidence is strongly related to age, with the highest incidence rates being in older women. In the UK in 2013-2015, on average each year more than a quarter (28%) of new cases were in females aged 75 and over.[1-4] 

Age-specific incidence rates rise steadily from around age 30-34 and more steeply from around age 45-49, with a sharp drop in the oldest age groups. The highest rates are in the 75 to 79 age group.

Ovarian Cancer (C56-C57.4), Average Number of New Cases per Year and Age-Specific Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population, Females, UK, 2013-2015

95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits  around the AS Rate

For ovarian cancer, like most cancer types, incidence increases with age. This largely reflects cell DNA damage accumulating over time. Damage can result from biological processes or from exposure to risk factors. A drop or plateau in incidence in the oldest age groups often indicates reduced diagnostic activity perhaps due to general ill health.

Ovarian cancer European age-standardised (AS) incidence rates for females remained stable in the UK between 1993-1995 and 2013-2015.[1-4]

Over the last decade in the UK (between 2003-2005 and 2013-2015), ovarian cancer AS incidence rates for females decreased by 5%.[1-4]

Ovarian Cancer (C56-C57.4), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, Females, UK, 1993-2015

Ovarian cancer incidence rates have increased overall in some broad age groups in females in the UK since the early 1990s, but have decreased in others.[1-4] Rates in 0-24s have increased by 83%, in 25-49s have increased by 11%, in 50-59s have decreased by 15%, in 60-69s have decreased by 10%, in 70-79s have increased by 9%, and in 80+s have increased by 12%.

Ovarian Cancer (C56-C57.4), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, By Age, Females, UK, 1993-2015

For ovarian cancer, like most cancer types, incidence trends largely reflect changing prevalence of risk factors and improvements in diagnosis and data recording. Recent incidence trends are influenced by risk factor prevalence in years past, and trends by age group reflect risk factor exposure in birth cohorts.

Overall stage at diagnosis

A high proportion (85-88%) of ovarian cancer cases in England and Northern Ireland have stage at diagnosis recorded.[1,2]

More females with a known stage are diagnosed at a late stage (55-58% are diagnosed at stage III or IV), than an early stage (42-45% are diagnosed at stage I or II). Between 17% and 21% of females have metastases at diagnosis (stage IV).[1,2]

The stage distribution for each cancer type will reflect many factors including how the cancer type develops, the way symptoms appear, public awareness of symptoms, how quickly a person goes to see their doctor and how quickly the cancer is recognised and diagnosed by a doctor. It might also relate to whether a national screening programme that can detect early stage disease exists for that cancer type, along with the extent of uptake of that programme.

A cancer type associated with a large proportion of early stage diagnoses could be one that is more likely to be symptomatic at an earlier stage of development, with recognisable symptoms rather than more generic ones.

Ovarian Cancer (C56), Proportion of Cases Diagnosed at Each Stage, All Ages, England 2014 and Northern Ireland 2010-2014

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Stage at diagnosis by deprivation

Late stage at diagnosis of ovarian cancer is not associated with deprivation in England.[3]

Stage at diagnosis by age

Late stage at diagnosis of ovarian cancer is more common in women aged 80+ in England (77% diagnosed at stage III or IV), compared to those aged 60-79 (66% diagnosed at stage III or IV) and compared to younger women aged 15-59 (39% diagnosed at stage III or IV).[3]

Late stage ovarian cancer is also more common in women aged 60-79 in England (66% diagnosed at stage III or IV) versus those aged 15-59 (39% diagnosed at stage III or IV).[3]

These patterns by deprivation, age and sex are probably not explained by other demographic differences.[4]

80-90% of ovarian malignancies are epithelial  in origin, with the most common type in the UK being serous carcinomas.[1-3] Other rarer subtypes include germ cell tumours , which tend to occur in pre-menopausal women and are very chemo-sensitive (and hence treatable). It is thought that most histologies share common risk factors, with the probable exception of mucinous carcinomas.[1,4]

The most striking international difference occurs in Japan, which has lower rates of ovarian cancer than in Europe.[5] Some of this variation may be explained by geographical differences in histologies, since Japan has a higher percentage of clear cell adenocarcinomas  (20-25%) compared with other Asian or Western countries (5-10%).[6]

Ovarian cancer incidence rates are projected to rise by 15% in the UK between 2014 and 2035, to 32 cases per 100,000 females by 2035.[1]

Ovarian cancer (C56-C57.4), Observed and Projected Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, by Sex, UK, 1979-2035

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It is projected that 10,501 cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in the UK in 2035.

There is no evidence for an association between ovarian cancer incidence and deprivation in England.[1] England-wide data for 2006-2010 show European age-standardised incidence rates are similar for females living in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived.[1]

Ovarian Cancer (C56-C57), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates by Deprivation Quintile, Females, England, 2006-2010

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The estimated deprivation gradient in ovarian cancer incidence between females living in the most and least deprived areas in England has not changed in the period 1996-2010.[1]

Age-standardised rates for White females with ovarian cancer (ICD-10 C56 only) range from 17.4 to 18.1 per 100,000. Rates for Asian females are significantly lower, ranging from 9.2 to 15.5 per 100,000 and the rates for Black females are also significantly lower, ranging from 6.6 to 12.1 per 100,000.[1]

Ranges are given because of the analysis methodology used to account for missing and unknown data. For ovarian cancer, 28,023 cases were identified; 22% had no known ethnicity.

An estimated 41,000 women who had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer between 1991 and 2010 were alive in the UK at the end of 2010.[1]

Ovarian cancer (C56 only) is the fifth most common cancer in Europe for females, and the 13th most common cancer overall, with around 65,600 new cases diagnosed in 2012 (4% of female cases and 2% of the total). In Europe (2012), the highest World age-standardised incidence rate for ovarian cancer are in Latvia; the lowest are in Albania. UK ovarian cancer incidence rates are estimated to be the ninth highest in Europe.[1] These data are broadly in line with Europe-specific data available elsewhere.[2]

Ovarian cancer (C56 only) is the seventh most common cancer worldwide for females, and the 18th most common cancer overall, with nearly 239,000 new cases diagnosed in 2012 (4% of female cases and 2% of the total). Ovarian cancer incidence rates are highest in Central and Eastern Europe and lowest in Western Africa, but this partly reflects varying data quality worldwide.[1]

Variation between countries may reflect different prevalence of risk factors, use of screening, and diagnostic methods.