Ovarian cancer incidence statistics

Cases

New cases of ovarian cancer, 2015, UK

Proportion of all cases

Percentage ovarian cancer is of total cancer cases, 2015, UK

 

Age

Peak rate of ovarian cancer cases, 2013-2015, UK

Trend over time

Ovarian cancer incidence rates have remained stable since the early 1990s, UK

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 Open a glossary item ) 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

  England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland UK
Female Cases 6,102 597 370 201 7,270
Crude Rate 22.0 21.6 23.5 21.3 22.0
AS Rate 22.8 21.3 22.4 23.3 22.6
AS Rate - 95% LCI 22.2 19.6 20.1 20.0 22.1
AS Rate - 95% UCI 23.3 23.0 24.7 26.5 23.1
Persons Cases 6,102 597 370 201 7,270
Crude Rate 11.1 11.1 11.9 10.9 11.2
AS Rate 12.0 11.5 11.8 12.3 12.0
AS Rate - 95% LCI 11.7 10.6 10.6 10.6 11.7
AS Rate - 95% UCI 12.3 12.4 13.0 14.1 12.2

95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits Open a glossary item  around the AS Rate Open a glossary item
 

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

See also

Ovarian cancer mortality statistics by sex and UK country

Cancer incidence for common cancers in the UK

References

  1. Data were provided by the Office for National Statistics on request, July 2017. Similar data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancerregistrationstatisticsengland/previousReleases.
  2. Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, August 2017. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications.
  3. Data were provided by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales on request, October 2017. Similar data can be found here: http://www.wcisu.wales.nhs.uk.
  4. Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, July 2017. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2015, ICD-10 C56-C57.4.

Last reviewed:

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 Open a glossary item around the AS Rate Open a glossary item
 

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.

See also

Ovarian cancer mortality statistics by age

Ovarian cancer survival statistics by age

Cancer incidence statistics by age for all cancers

References

  1. Data were provided by the Office for National Statistics on request, July 2017. Similar data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancerregistrationstatisticsengland/previousReleases.
  2. Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, August 2017. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications.
  3. Data were provided by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales on request, October 2017. Similar data can be found here: http://www.wcisu.wales.nhs.uk.
  4. Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, July 2017. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2013-2015, ICD-10 C56-C57.4.

Last reviewed:

Ovarian cancer European age-standardised (AS) Open a glossary item 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.

See also

Ovarian cancer mortality trends over time

Ovarian cancer survival trends over time

Ovarian cancer risk factors

Cancer incidence statistics for common cancers in the UK

References

  1. Data were provided by the Office for National Statistics on request, July 2017. Similar data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancerregistrationstatisticsengland/previousReleases.
  2. Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, August 2017. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications.
  3. Data were provided by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales on request, October 2017. Similar data can be found here: http://www.wcisu.wales.nhs.uk.
  4. Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, July 2017. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/.

About this data

Data is for UK, 1993-2015, ICD-10 C56-C57.4

Last reviewed:

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

Data should not be compared between countries due to differences in time periods and possible differences in recording of stage at diagnosis.
 

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]

See also

View our patient information on staging for ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer survival by stage at diagnosis

More about incidence by stage data collection and quality

Routes to diagnosis

Deprivation gradient in ovarian cancer incidence

References

  1. National Cancer Intelligence Network. Stage Breakdown by CCG 2014. London: NCIN; 2016.
  2. Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, Queens University Belfast, Incidence by stage 2010-2014. Belfast: NICR; 2016.
  3. National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service. Routes to diagnosis of cancer by stage 2012-2013 workbook. London: NCRAS; 2016.
  4. Lyratzopoulos G, Abel G, Brown C, et al. Socio-demographic inequalities in stage of cancer diagnosis: evidence from patients with female breast, lung, colon, rectal, prostate, renal, bladder, melanoma, ovarian and endometrial cancer. Annals of Oncology, 2012:843-50.

About this data

Data is for:  England 2014, Northern Ireland 2010-2014, ICD-10 C56 (overall stage at diagnosis) and England, 2012-2013, ICD-10 C56-C57 (stage at diagnosis by deprivation, age, sex, and ethnicity)

Data is not comparable between countries due to differences in time periods and possible differences in how countries record stage at diagnosis.

The proportions of patients diagnosed late only include cases with a known stage at diagnosis and are not adjusted for other demographics differences (e.g. age, sex, ethnicity) unless stated otherwise.

Last reviewed:

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 Open a glossary item, 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 Open a glossary item (20-25%) compared with other Asian or Western countries (5-10%).[6]

See also

Find out more about the counting and coding of this data

Cancer incidence statistics for common cancers in the UK

References

  1. Granstrom C, Sundquist J, Hemminki K. Population attributable fractions for ovarian cancer in Swedish women by morphological type. Br J Cancer 2008;98:199-205.
  2. DeVita VT, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA, eds. Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 8th edition. Philadephia, USA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2008.
  3. McCluggage WG. My approach to and thoughts on the typing of ovarian carcinomas. Journal of Clinical Pathology 2008;61:152-63.
  4. Purdie DM, Webb PM, Siskind V, et al. The different etiologies of mucinous and nonmucinous epithelial ovarian cancers. Gynecol Oncol 2003;88:S145-8.
  5. Ferlay J, Shin HR, Bray F, et al. GLOBOCAN 2008 v1.2, Cancer Incidence and Mortality Worldwide. IARC Cancerbase No,10 [Internet] Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2010. Available from: http://globocan.iarc.fr.
  6. Ushijima K. Current status of gynecologic cancer in Japan. J Gynecol Oncol 2009;20:67-71.

About this data

See source for ICD codes and other data specifics.

Last reviewed:

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

Download the data table (xls) 

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

See also

Find out how these projections were calculated

Incidence trends over time for ovarian cancer

Projections of incidence for all cancers combined

Ovarian cancer risk

Download the projections data table

References

  1. Smittenaar CR, Petersen KA, Stewart K, Moitt N. Cancer Incidence and Mortality Projections in the UK Until 2035. Brit J Cancer 2016.

About this data

Data is for: UK, 1979-2014 (observed), 2015-2035 (projected), ICD-10 C56-C57.4

Projections are based on observed incidence and mortality rates and therefore implicitly include changes in cancer risk factors, diagnosis and treatment. It is not possible to assess the statistical significance of changes between 2014 (observed) and 2035 (projected) figures. Confidence intervals are not calculated for the projected figures. Projections are by their nature uncertain because unexpected events in future could change the trend. It is not sensible to calculate a boundary of uncertainty around these already uncertain point estimates. Changes are described as 'increase' or 'decrease' if there is any difference between the point estimates.

More on projections methodology

Last reviewed:

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 Open a glossary item 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

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]

See also

Find out more about the counting and coding of this data

Deprivation gradient for cancer incidence

Deprivation gradient in ovarian cancer mortality

Socio-economic variation in cancer incidence for Scotland

Socio-economic variation in cancer incidence for Wales

Socio-economic variation in cancer incidence for Northern Ireland

References

  1. Cancer Research UK and National Cancer Intelligence Network. Cancer by deprivation in England: Incidence, 1996-2010, Mortality, 1997-2011. London: NCIN; 2014.

About this data

Data is for UK, 2006-2010, ICD-10 CC56-C57

Deprivation gradient statistics were calculated using incidence data for 2006-2010. The deprivation quintiles were calculated using the Income domain scores from the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) from the following years: 2004, 2007 and 2010. Full details on the data and methodology can be found in the Cancer by Deprivation in England NCIN report.

Last reviewed:

Age-standardised Open a glossary item 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.

See also

Find out more about the counting and coding of this data

Ovarian cancer mortality statistics by ethnicity

Cancer incidence statistics by ethnicity

References

  1. National Cancer Intelligence Network and Cancer Research UK. Cancer Incidence and Survival by Major Ethnic Group, England, 2002-2006. 2009.

About this data

Data is for: England, 2002-2006, ICD-10 C56

Last reviewed:

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]

See also

Ovarian cancer incidence statistics by sex and UK country

What is prevalence?

References

  1. Macmillan Cancer Support and National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service. Cancer Prevalence UK Data Tables. London: NCRAS; 2015.

About this data

Data is for: Great Britain (1991-2010) and Northern Ireland (1993-2010), ICD-10 C56-57.4

Last reviewed:

Cancer stats explained

See information and explanations on terminology used for statistics and reporting of cancer, and the methods used to calculate some of our statistics.

Cancer stats explained

Citation

You are welcome to reuse this Cancer Research UK content for your own work.
Credit us as authors by referencing Cancer Research UK as the primary source. Suggested styles are:

Web content: Cancer Research UK, full URL of the page, Accessed [month] [year].
Publications: Cancer Research UK ([year of publication]), Name of publication, Cancer Research UK.
Graphics (when reused unaltered): Credit: Cancer Research UK.
Graphics (when recreated with differences): Based on a graphic created by Cancer Research UK.

When Cancer Research UK material is used for commercial reasons, we encourage a donation to our life-saving research.
Send a cheque payable to Cancer Research UK to: Cancer Research UK, Angel Building, 407 St John Street, London, EC1V 4AD or

Donate online

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the many organisations across the UK which collect, analyse, and share the data which we use, and to the patients and public who consent for their data to be used. Find out more about the sources which are essential for our statistics.

Rate this page:

Currently rated: 2.6 out of 5 based on 19 votes
Thank you!
We've recently made some changes to the site, tell us what you think