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released: 24 Feb 2010 author: AIHW media release

Ovarian cancer was the most common cause of gynaecological cancer death and the sixth most common cause of cancer-related death among women in 2006. Although the prognosis for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer was relatively poor compared with a number of other cancers, the prognosis has improved over time. These and other data in this report provide a comprehensive picture of ovarian cancer in Australia including how ovarian cancer rates differ by age, Indigenous status, country of birth, socioeconomic status and geographical area.

ISSN 1039-3307; ISBN 978 1 74024 996 6; Cat. no. CAN 48; 136pp.; $26.00

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Publication table of contents

  • Preliminary material (287KB PDF)1
    • Foreword
    • Contents
    • Acknowledgments
    • Abbreviations
      • Symbols
    • Executive summary  1
  • Body section (542KB PDF)
    1. Introduction
      • What is ovarian cancer?
      • Purpose and structure of this report
      • Data interpretation
      • Data sources
    2. Incidence of ovarian cancer
      • Incidence in 2006
        • Differences by age at diagnosis
      • Trends
        • Trends by age at diagnosis
      • Risk of ovarian cancer and average age at diagnosis
      • Projections
      • Types of ovarian cancer
        • Trends in types of ovarian cancer
      • Incidence by stage at diagnosis
      • Differences across groups
        • Differences by geographical area
        • Differences by socioeconomic status
        • Differences by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status
        • Differences by country of birth
      • International comparisons
    3. Mortality from ovarian cancer
      • Mortality in 2006
        • Differences by age at death
      • Trends
        • Trends by age at death
        • Risk of death from ovarian cancer and average age at death
      • Differences across groups
        • Differences by geographical area
        • Differences by socioeconomic status
        • Differences by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status
        • Differences by country of birth
      • International comparisons
      • Ovarian cancer as an associated cause of death
    4. Survival after a diagnosis of ovarian cancer
      • Survival of those diagnosed between 2000 and 2006
        • Survival from ovarian cancer compared with other cancers
        • Differences by age at diagnosis
      • Trends
        • Trends by age at diagnosis
      • Survival by type of ovarian cancer
      • Survival by stage at diagnosis
      • Differences by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status
      • International comparisons
    5. Prevalence of ovarian cancer
      • Prevalence in 2006
        • Differences by age
        • Differences across groups
    6. Burden of disease due to ovarian cancer
      • Burden of disease in 2003
        • Differences by age
      • Trends and projections
    7. Hospitalisations for ovarian cancer
      • Hospitalisations in 2007–08
        • Differences by age
        • Average length of stay
      • Trends
        • Trends in average length of stay
      • Procedures undertaken during hospitalisations
    8. Expenditure on ovarian cancer
      • Expenditure in 2004–05
        • Differences by age
      • Trends
  • End matter (334KB PDF)
    • Appendixes
      1. Classifications
        • International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems
        • International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Australian modification
        • Australian Classification of Health Interventions
        • International Classification of Diseases for Oncology
        • Australian Standard Geographical Classification Remoteness Areas
        • Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage
        • Standard Australian Classification of Countries
      2. Statistical methods and technical notes
        • Age-specific rates
        • Age-standardised rates
        • Confidence intervals
        • Definition of ovarian cancer
          • What ICD codes are included in the definition
          • Whether or not borderline tumours are included
        • Incidence projections
        • Mortality data differences
        • Mortality-to-incidence ratio
        • Relative survival analysis
        • Risk to age 75 and 85 years
      3. Data sources
        • Australian Cancer Database
          • Non-melanoma skin cancers
        • Burden of disease data
        • Disease Expenditure Database
        • GLOBOCAN
        • National Death Index
        • National Hospital Morbidity Database
        • National Mortality Database
        • Population data
      4. Additional tables
        • Additional tables for Chapter 2: Incidence of ovarian cancer
        • Additional tables for Chapter 3: Mortality from ovarian cancer
        • Additional tables for Chapter 4: Survival after a diagnosis of ovarian cancer
        • Additional table for Chapter 6: Burden of disease due to ovarian cancer
        • Additional tables for Chapter 7: Hospitalisations for ovarian cancer
        • Additional table for Chapter 8: Expenditure on ovarian cancer
      5. Stage at diagnosis
        • FIGO staging system
        • TNM staging system
        • Summary staging system
      6. Definition of ovarian cancer–related hospitalisations
    • Glossary
    • References
    • List of tables
    • List of figures

Notes and corrections

The current version of the publication is presented above.

Previous versions of files that have been updated or corrected are presented below.

  1. (10 March 2010) An error in the original report was noted. The error was an additional ‘0’ inadvertently added to change 100,000 to 1000,000 in line 17of page xi. In the new version of the report the additional ‘0’ has been removed and the number now correctly reads 100,000.

Recommended citation

AIHW 2010. Ovarian cancer in Australia: an overview, 2010. Cancer series 52. Cat. no. CAN 48. Canberra: AIHW.