Global, regional, and national burden of ovarian cancer among young women during 1990–2019

Sep 21, 2026

Ovarian cancer among women aged 20–39 is analyzed to quantify its global, regional, and national burden from 1990 to 2019 using Global Burden of Disease data. Trends are evaluated via estimated annual percentage change and socioeconomic variation using the sociodemographic index (SDI). Incidence and prevalence rise globally, alongside increasing mortality and disability-adjusted life years. Burden shifts toward lower SDI regions, with fasting plasma glucose, BMI, and asbestos exposure highlighted as key risks, supporting targeted prevention and equitable health resources.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Materials and methods

Results

Conclusion

References and publication details

Research article 1 Global, regional, and national burden of ovarian cancer among young women during 1990–2019 Qingyuan Zhuanga,b, *, Gaocheng Gua,b, *, Jiyu Chena,b, *, Zhuojun Tanga,b, *, Chenxi Wua,b, Jiahui Liua,b and Lili Qua,b Background Ovarian cancer, the most devastating tumor in women globally, significantly impacts young women, compromising their daily lives and overall well-being. Ovarian cancer represents a significant public health concern due to its extensive physical and psychological consequences. Material and methods Data from the Global Burden of Disease were used to assess the global, regional, and national burden of ovarian cancer in young women aged 20–39 from 1990 to 2019. This analysis focused on trends measured by the estimated annual percentage change and explored the socioeconomic impacts via the sociodemographic index (SDI). Results During 1990–2019, the incidence and prevalence of ovarian cancer among young women increased globally, with annual rates of 0.74% and 0.89%, respectively. The mortality rate and disability-adjusted life years also rose annually by 0.20% and 0.23%, respectively. A significant burden shift was observed toward regions with lower SDI, with high fasting plasma glucose, BMI, and asbestos exposure identified as prominent risk factors, particularly in lower SDI regions. Conclusion Our findings underscore ovarian cancer in young women as an escalating global health challenge, with the burden increasingly shifting toward lower socioeconomic areas. This underscores the necessity for targeted prevention and control strategies for ovarian cancer, focusing on reducing the identified risk factors and ensuring equitable health resource distribution. European Journal of Cancer Prevention 34: 1–10 Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. European Journal of Cancer Prevention 2025, 34: 1–10 Keywords: global burden of disease, global health, incidence, ovarian neoplasms aThe Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University and bThe Second Clinical Medical School, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China Correspondence to Lili Qu, MD, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Jiangning District, 211166 Nanjing, China Tel: +86 13951779291; e-mail: [liliqu@njmu.edu.cn](liliqu@njmu.edu.cn) *Qingyuan Zhuang, Gaocheng Gu, Jiyu Chen, and Zhuojun Tang contributed equally to the writing of this article. Received 11 April 2024 Accepted 10 May 2024. Background Ovarian cancer stands out as one of the most lethal and highly malignant gynecological malignancies (Jaysonetal., 2014). Due to a lack of early symptoms, early diagnosis of ovarian cancer proves challenging. Consequently, 60–70% of cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage upon seeking medical attention, and these late-stage cases result in poor treatment outcomes (Siegel et al., 2019). Therefore, although the incidence of ovarian cancer is lower than that of cervical and endometrial cancers—ranking third among gynecological malignancies—the mortality rate of ovarian cancer exceeds the combined mortality of cervical and endometrial cancers, making it the leading cause of death from gynecological cancer (Siegel et al., 2019). Ovarian cancer poses a significant threat to women’s health and is the gravest concern affecting women’s well-being. Supplemental digital content is available for this article. Direct URL citations appear in the printed text and are provided in the HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journal's website ([www.eurjcancerprev.com](www.eurjcancerprev.com)). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBYNC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal. Approximately 20% of ov

FAQs

What is the study’s main objective?

To assess the global, regional, and national burden of ovarian cancer among young women aged 20–39 from 1990 to 2019 and to evaluate trend changes and socioeconomic impacts.

Which outcomes increased from 1990 to 2019?

Globally, incidence and prevalence increased, and mortality and disability-adjusted life years also rose annually.

What risk factors and setting shifts are emphasized in the findings?

A burden shift toward lower SDI regions is observed, with high fasting plasma glucose, BMI, and asbestos exposure identified as prominent risk factors, especially in lower SDI regions.

Sep 21, 2026

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