Ovarian Cancer Statistics, 2018

Abstract

In 2018, there will be approximately 22,240 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed and 14,070 ovarian cancer deaths in the US. Herein, the American Cancer Society provides an overview of ovarian cancer occurrence based on incidence data from nationwide population-based cancer registries and mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics. The status of early detection strategies is also reviewed. In the US, overall ovarian cancer incidence declined by 29% from 1985 (16.6 per 100,000) to 2014 (11.8 per 100,000), while mortality declined 33% from 1976 (10.0 per 100,000) to 2015 (6.7 per 100,000). Ovarian cancer encompasses a heterogenous group of malignancies that vary in etiology, molecular biology, and numerous other characteristics. Ninety percent of ovarian cancers are epithelial, the most common being serous carcinoma, for which incidence is highest in non-Hispanic whites (NHWs; 5.2 per 100,000) and lowest in non-Hispanic blacks (NHBs; 3.4 per 100,000) and Asian/Pacific Islanders (APIs; 3.4 per 100,000). Notably, however, APIs have the highest incidence of endometrioid and clear cell carcinoma, which occur at younger ages and help explain comparable epithelial cancer incidence for APIs and NHWs younger than 55 years. Most serous carcinomas are diagnosed at stage III (51%) or IV (29%), for which the 5-year cause-specific survival is 42% and 26%, respectively. For all stages of epithelial cancers combined, five-year survival is highest in APIs (57%) and lowest in NHBs (35%), who have the lowest survival for almost every stage of diagnosis across cancer subtype. Epithelial ovarian cancer survival has plateaued in NHBs for decades, whereas it continues to increase in NHWs, from 40% for cases diagnosed during 1992–1994 to 47% during 2007–2013. Although there has been progress in reducing ovarian cancer incidence and mortality overall, further research is needed to determine the source of racial disparities and identify effective mechanisms for early ovarian cancer detection and prevention.