Analysis of the global burden of ovarian cancer in adolescents.

Abstract

Objective: Ovarian cancer is the most prevalent gynecologic malignancy in adolescents, predominantly characterized by non-epithelial cancer. We aim to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of ovarian cancer in various regions and countries within this specific population.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 study, which included adolescents with ovarian cancer aged 15 to 24 years in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. We retrieved data on incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years, and calculated estimated annual percentage changes to assess the temporal trends. In addition, we explored the relationship between the disease burden and the Socio-demographic Index and performed decomposition analysis.

Results: Globally, in 2021, the incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years for ovarian cancer among adolescents were reported as 11,087 (95% CI 8893-12,899), 1573 (95% CI 1249-1832), and 115,075 (95% CI 91,622-134,050), respectively, with all corresponding age-standardized rates showing increasing trends from 1990 to 2021. Among the 5 Socio-demographic Index regions, the middle Socio-demographic Index region exhibited the highest age-standardized incidence rate (2.27, 95% CI 1.75-2.66), while the region with the highest age-standardized mortality rate and the most significant increase in disease burden was the low-middle region. Furthermore, out of 21 geographical regions, Southeast Asia reported the highest age-standardized incidence rate (4.48, 95% CI 3.00-6.12), while Central Latin America had the highest age-standardized mortality rate (0.42, 95% CI 0.36-0.49). Andean Latin America had the greatest increase in disease burden, while Australasia had the greatest decrease.

Conclusions: The disease burden of ovarian cancer among adolescents continues to rise globally, particularly in regions and countries with moderate to low economic development. Enhancing the equitable allocation of health care resources to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment is essential for future treatment and research strategies.