Ovarian cancer is the fifth commonest cancer in women. In 2003 there were 6,906 new cases reported in the United Kingdom.Table 1.1: Numbers and rates of new cases, ovarian cancer, UK by country,

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/ovary/incidence/

The majority of ovarian cancer is found in women aged more than 45 years. Women who have had children or taken the combined oral contraceptive pill are afforded a degree of protection.

   Figure 1.1: Numbers of new cases and age-specific incidence rates, females, ovarian cancer, UK

(http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/ovary/incidence/)

Ovarian cancer is the most common in UK women (Table 1.2).Table 1.2: Gynaecological cancers in the UK

The incidence of ovarian cancer in British women has increased over the last 25-30 years from around 15 per 100,000 women in 1975 to around 18 per 100,000 women in 2003, an increase of more 20% but mortality rates have fallen a little

Figure 1.3: Age-standardised (European) incidence and mortality rates, ovarian cancer, GB,

Figure 1.4 shows the age-specific rates for ovarian cancer between 1975 and 2003 in Great Britain. Most of the increase in incidence in Britain has been in women over 65 years. Between 1975 and 2003 the incidence rate in women over 65 years rose from 43 to 67 per 100,000, an increase of over 55%. Widespread use of the contraceptive pill is one possible explanation for the stability of rates in younger women.

Figure 1.4: Age specific incidence rates, ovarian cancer, females, UK,

Ovarian cancer was responsible for 4,360 deaths in the UK in 1992, which was more than the total for the other s.


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 Women's Health