Ovarian cancer - UK mortality statistics

Ovarian cancer mortality statistics are presented here, including, age and trends over time.

The latest cancer incidence statistics available for the UK are for 2009, and for mortality the latest statistics are for 2010. We are currently working to update all the incidence and mortality pages on this site. Find out why more up to date statistics are not yet available.

Ovarian cancer mortality

 

Gynaecological cancers in the UK

Ovarian cancer accounts for more deaths than all the other gynaecological cancers combined (Table 2.1).1-3

Table 2.1: Gynaecological Cancers (C51-C57), Number of  Deaths and European Age-Standardised (AS) Mortality Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2008

  2008
Cervix (C53) Deaths 957
AS Rate 2.4
Ovary (C56-C57) Deaths 4,373
AS Rate 9.7
Uterus (C54-C55) Deaths 1,741
AS Rate 3.6
Vagina (C52) Deaths 77
AS Rate 0.1
Vulva (C51) Deaths 400
AS Rate 0.7

In 2008, there were around 4,400 deaths from ovarian cancer in the UK (Table 2.2), accounting for 6% of all female deaths from cancer. The crude mortality rate shows that this equates to around 14 deaths for every 100,000 women.

Table 2.2: Ovarian Cancer (C56-C57), Number of Deaths and European Age-Standardised (AS) Mortality Rates  per 100,000 Population, UK, 2008

England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland UK
Deaths 3,546 415 235 121 4,317
Crude Rate 13.5 15.5 15.3 13.3 13.7
AS Rate 9.3 9.9 9.7 9.7 9.4
AS Rate - 95% LCL* 9.0 9.0 8.4 8.0 9.1
AS Rate - 95% UCL* 9.6 10.9 10.9 11.4 9.7

Download this table XLS (38KB)

*95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits around the AS rate

section updated 20/06/11

Back to top
 
 

By age

Figure 2.1 shows the pattern of mortality in specific age groups.

Figure 2.1: Ovarian Cancer (C56-C57), Number of Deaths and Age-Specific Mortality Rates, UK, 2008

section updated  08/03/11

Back to top
 
 

Trends over time

During the 1970s and 1980s, while incidence rates rose steadily, European age-standardised mortality rates remained stable at between 11 and 12 per 100,000 women (Figure 2.2).

Figure 2.2: Ovarian Cancer (C56-C57), European Age-Standardised (AS) Mortality Rates , UK, 1971-2008

More recently, mortality rates have shown a small but consistent decline, mirroring the recent fall in incidence. In 2008, the mortality rate was less than 10 per 100,000 women, compared with 12 per 100,000 in 1975, a fall of 21%. The relative stability in overall mortality rates masks the marked variation in mortality trends at different ages (Figure 2.3).

Figure 2.3: Ovarian Cancer (C56-C57), European Age-Standardised Mortality Rates, By Age, UK, 1971-2008

 

 

Over the last twenty years, mortality rates have decreased by 40% for UK women aged 45-64 (from 25 per 100,000 in 1989 to 15 per 100,000 in 2008), but increased by around 25% for women aged 75-84 and 85+ (around 49-52 per 100,000 in 1989 and 62-64 per 100,000 in 2008).

section updated 08/03/11

Back to top
 

In Europe and Worldwide

Ovarian cancer caused around 29,000 deaths in Europe (EU27) in 20084. More details on ovarian cancer mortality in Europe can be found in the incidence section. Worldwide, in 2008 more than 140,000 women died from ovarian cancer.

Back to top
 
Back to Ovarian cancer - UK incidence statistics Back to
Ovarian cancer - UK incidence statistics
Forward to Ovarian cancer survival statistics Forward to
Ovarian cancer survival statistics
icon-a-z-20x20

Visit our A-Z topic pages

 

References for ovarian cancer mortality

  1. Office for National Statistics, 2010 Death Registrations in England and Wales, 2008.
  2. General Registrar's Office Scotland Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Survival data. Accessed 2010
  3. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, 2010 Cancer Incidence and Mortality.
  4. Bray F, Loos AH, Tognazzo S, Vecchia CL Ovarian cancer in Europe: Cross-sectional trends in incidence and mortality in 28 countries, 1953-2000. International Journal of Cancer 2005;113:977-90