Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian Cancer Facts

  • Number 1 deadliest gynecologic cancer with no reliable screening
  • 1 in 75 women develop the disease in their lifetime
  • Over 70% of women are diagnosed at an advanced stage
  • Every woman is at risk of ovarian cancer. Every person with ovaries is at risk of ovarian cancer.
  • Genetic mutation such as BRCA and strong family history may increase risk of ovarian cancer

Advocacy In Action

The Every Woman Study™

The World Ovarian Cancer Coalition is currently conducting the Every Woman Study Low- and Middle Income Edition to document the experiences of women with ovarian cancer in up to 30 low- and middle-income countries from pre-diagnosis through post-treatment. The IGCS and its members are assisting in the dissemination of the survey and results are expected in the second half of 2023. 

It is expected that the study will reveal data to better understand the landscape of ovarian cancer care and inform future strategies to close the care gap, driving earlier detection and enhancements in ovarian (and gynecologic) cancer care worldwide.

Learn More

World Ovarian Cancer Day

World Ovarian Cancer Day — recognized on May 8 each year since 2013 — is an initiative of the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, an organization that is an official Strategic Advocacy Partner of the IGCS and key ally within the International Gynecologic Cancer Advocacy Network. 

Learn more and join the effort to raise awareness of ovarian cancer.

Project
GEOCC

In 2022, IGCS embarked on an initiative — Project GEOCC (Global Equality in Ovarian Cancer Care) — to assess and address ovarian cancer care at a global level. Data collected from 1,509 specialists in 115 countries highlight the inequities in ovarian cancer care worldwide by helping us to understand current practices and the availability of treatment modalities worldwide. 

The workgroup manuscript is in progress, and we plan to share the findings and recommendations at the 2023 IGCS Annual Global Meeting in Seoul.

Additional Resources

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is a reliable source for in-depth information about many cancers including prevention, screening, treatment and research for ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer.

SurvivorNet provides videos and articles for the general public vetted by experts in gynecologic oncology. The content covers a variety of topics related to ovarian cancer.

Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE) provides resources to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by hereditary breast, ovarian, and related cancers.

Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance is the leading organization in the world fighting ovarian cancer on all fronts while supporting patients and their families.

Olivia offers a wide range of resources for everyone affected by ovarian cancer, including a guide for the newly diagnosed, detailed information for every step of the ovarian cancer pathway, lifestyle articles, resource directories, and much more.

The digital patient pathway was co-developed by the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO), the European Network of Gynaecological Cancer Advocacy Groups (ENGAGe), and AstraZeneca with funding provided by AstraZeneca.

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