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 (2017-2019). In females and males combined, ovarian cancer is the 16th most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 2% of all new cancer cases (2017-2019).[1-4]

Ovarian cancer incidence rates (European age-standardised (AS) rate Open a glossary item) for females are significantly lower than the UK average in Scotland and are similar to the UK average in all other UK constituent countries.

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

Ovarian Cancer (C56-C57.4), Average Number of New Cases Per Year, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Incidence Rates per 100,000 Female Population, UK, 2017-2019

  England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland UK
Female Cases 6,348 612 366 213 7,538
Crude Rate 22.4 21.9 23.0 22.3 22.4
AS Rate 22.8 21.2 21.6 23.7 22.6
AS Rate - 95% LCL 22.5 20.3 20.3 21.8 22.3
AS Rate - 95% UCL 23.1 22.2 22.9 25.5 22.9
Persons Cases 6,348 612 366 213 7,538
Crude Rate 11.3 11.2 11.6 11.3 11.3
AS Rate 12.0 11.4 11.4 12.6 11.9
AS Rate - 95% LCL 11.8 10.8 10.7 11.6 11.8
AS Rate - 95% UCL 12.1 11.9 12.0 13.6 12.1
95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits around the AS Rate Open a glossary item

References

  1. England data were provided by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS), part of the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) in NHS England, on request through the Office for Data Release, January 2023. Similar data can be found here: https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/ 

  2.  Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (NICR) on request, October 2021. Similar data can be found here:http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/. 

  3. Welsh data were published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (WCISU), Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-reporting-tool-official-statistics/ June 2022. 

  4. Scotland data were provided by the Scottish Cancer Registry, Public Health Scotland (PHS) on request, May 2021. Similar data can be found here: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/show-all-releases?id=20468

About this data

Data is for UK, 2017-2019, ICD-10 C56-C57.4.

Last reviewed:

In the UK in 2017-2019, on average each year more than a quarter of new cases (28%) were in females aged 75 and over.[1-4]

Age-specific incidence rates rise steadily from around age 10-14 and more steeply from around age 40-44 with a peak at age 75-79. 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 Female Population, UK, 2017-2019

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. England data were provided by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS), part of the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) in NHS England, on request through the Office for Data Release, January 2023. Similar data can be found here: https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/ 

  2.  Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (NICR) on request, October 2021. Similar data can be found here:http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/. 

  3. Welsh data were published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (WCISU), Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-reporting-tool-official-statistics/ June 2022. 

  4. Scotland data were provided by the Scottish Cancer Registry, Public Health Scotland (PHS) on request, May 2021. Similar data can be found here: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/show-all-releases?id=20468

About this data

Data is for UK, 2017-2019, ICD-10 C56-C57.4.

Last reviewed:

Ovarian cancer European age-standardised (AS) Open a glossary item incidence rates for females decreased by 3% in the UK between 1993-1995 and 2017-2019.[1-4]

Over the last decade in the UK (between 2007-2009 and 2017-2019), ovarian cancer AS incidence rates for females decreased by 6%.

Ovarian Cancer (ICD-10 C56-C57.4), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, Female Population, 1993 to 2019

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 78%, in 25-49s have increased by 10%, in 50-59s have decreased by 17%, in 60-69s have decreased by 16%, in 70-79s have increased by 6% and in 80+s have increased by 8%.

Ovarian Cancer (ICD-10 C56-C57.4), European Age-Standardised Incidence Rates per 100,000 Female Population, By Age, UK, 1993-2019

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.

References

  1. England data were provided by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS), part of the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) in NHS England, on request through the Office for Data Release, January 2023. Similar data can be found here: https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/ 

  2.  Northern Ireland data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (NICR) on request, October 2021. Similar data can be found here:http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/. 

  3. Welsh data were published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (WCISU), Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-reporting-tool-official-statistics/ June 2022. 

  4. Scotland data were provided by the Scottish Cancer Registry, Public Health Scotland (PHS) on request, May 2021. Similar data can be found here: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/show-all-releases?id=20468

About this data

Data is for UK, 1993-2019, ICD-10 C56-C57.4.

Last reviewed:

The most common specific location for ovarian cancers in the UK is the ovary itself (2016-2018).[1-4] Variation of incidence by anatomical site may reflect the physical size of each site, and differences in risk factor exposure by site, among other factors.

Download this data

Cases and percentages may not sum due to rounding

See also

Find out more about the counting and coding of this data

References

  1. Data were provided by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (part of Public Health England), on request through the Office for Data Release, July 2021. Similar data can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk
  2. Data were provided by ISD Scotland on request, April 2020. Similar data can be found here: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Publications.
  3. Data were published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Health Intelligence Division, Public Health Wales, March 2021. https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-incidence-in-wales-2002-2018/.
  4. Data were provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry on request, June 2020. Similar data can be found here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/

About this data

Data is for UK, 2016-2018, ICD-10 C56-C57.4. For some cases the specific location of the cancer is not recorded, this may be due to clinical or data recording factors.

Last reviewed:

The number of new ovarian cancer cases in females on average each year in the UK is projected to rise from around 8,100 cases in 2023-2025 to around 9,400 cases in 2038-2040.[1]

Ovarian cancer incidence rates are projected to rise by 5% in the UK between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040, to 24 cases per 100,000 females on average each year by 2038-2040.[1]

Ovarian cancer (C56-C57.4), Observed and Projected Age-Standardised Incidence Rates, UK, 1993-2040

Download the data table (xlsx)

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

Calculated by the Cancer Intelligence Team at Cancer Research UK, February 2023. Age-period-cohort modelling approach described here, using 2020-based population projections (Office for National Statistics) and observed cancer incidence (1975-2018 for England, Scotland and Wales, 1993-2018 for Northern Ireland).

About this data

Projections are based on incidence data from 1975-2018 (England, Scotland and Wales) and 1993-2018 (Northern Ireland); the above figure presents all UK data from 1993-2018 (observed) and 2019-2040 (projected). Number of new cases and age-standardised rates are presented as annual averages for each 3-year rolling period. ICD-10 codes C56-C57.4.

Projections are based on observed incidence rates and therefore implicitly include changes in cancer risk factors and diagnosis. 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:

Ovarian cancer incidence rates (European age-standardised (AS) rates Open a glossary item) in England in females are similar in the most deprived quintile compared with the least (2013-2017).[1]

See also

Data table: Cancer incidence rates and excess cases by cancer type in England

Incidence by deprivation for all cancer types combined

Ovarian cancer mortality by deprivation  (not directly comparable with incidence by deprivation)

Cancer incidence by deprivation for Scotland

Cancer incidence by deprivation for Wales

Cancer incidence by deprivation for Northern Ireland

References

  1. Calculated by the Cancer Intelligence Team at Cancer Research UK, April 2020. Based on method reported in National Cancer Intelligence Network Cancer by Deprivation in England Incidence, 1996-2010 Mortality, 1997-2011 . Using cancer incidence data 2013-2017 (Public Health England) and population data 2013-2017 (Office for National Statistics) by Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2015 income domain quintile, cancer type, sex, and five-year age band.

About this data

Data is for England, 2013-2017, ICD-10 C56-C57.4.

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

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