Epidemiology of ovarian cancer

Abstract

Worldwide, ovarian cancer (OC) is the seventh most common type of malignant neoplasm in women and the eighth cause of mortality in them. The classification of OC is made by the possible origin of one of the three main components of the ovary: epithelium, stroma, and germinal cells. Due to this the main malignant tumors arising from the ovary are epithelial carcinoma, germ cell tumor, sex cord-stromal tumor, and Krukenberg's tumor. The most common are the epithelial carcinomas, in which the most prevalent is serous ovarian carcinoma. Nevertheless, the subtype of OC varies according to the age of appearance. The global incidence of OC has been stable during the last decades, but, it´s still a disease that has contributed to a considerable number of deaths around the world. The epidemiology of this cancer shows differences between races and countries due to several factors including genetic and economic. The detection of this cancer has been problematic as there is no screening public program for its early detection and as a consequence, most OCs are detected in an advanced stage where most of the time it has already spread to other parts different from the ovary. The purpose of this article is to present a comprehensive review of the general epidemiology, incidence rates, prevalence rates, mortality, and survival of the different types of OC worldwide and in certain regions.