As a woman, it would be advantageous for you to read up on ovarian cancer and the statistics of being diagnosed with it as well as its survival rate. If you have a relative who have had ovarian cancer, all the more it is important for you to learn about the basic information to be found in ovarian cancer statistics.

Ovarian cancer is the fourth top cause of death which is related to life-threatening cancer. Ovarian cancer statistics show that 1 out of every 69 women born today will have the disease. Furthermore, the average age when the patient will finally be diagnosed is 63 while the average age for an ovarian cancer patient to die is 71. Studies conducted in 2006 made a prediction that the number of women to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer would be 20,180. It also predicted that approximately 15,310 deaths would result from this.

Cancer of the ovaries is responsible for around 4% of all women’s cancers even though there has been a gradual decline in the number of women diagnosed with it since the early 1990’s. Statistics also show that the disease is the cancer with the highest death rate among cancers of the female reproductive tract.  This is chiefly because of the ambiguity of ovarian cancer symptoms as well as the fact that no ovarian cancer screening tests exist up to now.

Ovarian cancer statistics state that between 2000 and 2003, 63 was the median age at diagnosis. Based on age, the percentages of women who were diagnosed with the cancer are as follows:

Below the age of 20    - 1.2%
Between 20 and 34    - 3.5%
Between 35 and 44    - 8.1%
Between 45 and 54    - 18.6%
Between 55 and 64    - 21.4%
Between 65 and 74    - 19.4%
Between 75 and 84    - 7.0%
Over the age of 85    - 12.3%

As for rate of mortality, the median age at death due to ovarian cancer from 2000 to 2003 was 71. Again, based on age, the percentages of women who passed away with the same kind of cancer are as follows:

Below the age of 20    - 0.1%
Between 20 and 34   – 0.8%
Between 35 and 44    - 3.2%
Between 45 and 54    - 11.3%
Between 55 and 64    - 18.5%
Between 65 and 74    - 25.0%
Between 75 and 84    - 28.9%
Over the age of 85    - 12.2%

Survival rates used in ovarian cancer statistics can be calculated different ways to suit different purposes. The survival rates showed here are based on the relative survival rate which means that they measure the survival of the patients by comparing them to the general population to get an estimate of the cancer’s effect. As a whole, the 5-year relative survival rate for 1996-2002 for ovarian cancer was 44.7%. According to race and sex, the 5-year relative survival rates showed that white women had a 44.2% survival rate, while black women had only 39.5%.

According to rates from 2001 to 2003, 1.44% of females born today at some point throughout their natural life will eventually be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In simpler terms, 1 in 69 women will receive a diagnosis for ovarian cancer in their lifetime. These particular ovarian cancer statistics are referred to as “the lifetime risk of developing cancer.”