Cancer of the ovary (ICD-9 183)

The incidence was almost the same in all areas except some rural areas in Russia and Belarus. The mortality in Denmark and Baltic countries was about 1.5-fold in comparison to the rates in Poland, Finland and Belarus. The range of mortality/incidence ratio was from 0.5 (Finland) to 0.8 (Denmark and Lithuania).

The age curves were similar in most areas. There was, however, a strong downward trend since the age of 70 in Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. An extra young-age component up to the age of 35 was seen in Icelandic incidence rates but not in mortality.

The maps for ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer are almost identical: only the mortality rate of ovarian cancer in Germany is a bit lower relative to the other countries. The rates also correlate with those of breast cancer indicating similar aetiology in these three cancers. Young age at first delivery and large number of children are protective factors for these cancers. There is no explanation to the young-age ovarian cancers in Iceland; this may be due to chance.