Introduction | About Ovarian Cancer | Backgrounder | Infographic | Q&A | Patient Stories | Bios | Media Contact
Introduction
This electronic press kit supports our abstract presentation recently made at the Union for International Cancer Control’s World Cancer Congress in September. It provides a high-level overview of the global socioeconomic burden of ovarian cancer. Commissioned by the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition in collaboration with RTI International Centre for NCD and the WHO’s Cancer Programme, this first-of-its-kind study covers 11 countries across various income levels, revealing significant disparities in ovarian cancer outcomes. The Study concludes that the socioeconomic burden of ovarian cancer in those 11 countries is over $70 Billion USD annually, with loss of lives outweighing the cost of health care systems to diagnose and treat the disease.
This press kit supports the Coalition’s presentation and press conference, emphasising the urgency of addressing ovarian cancer on a global scale. It offers key figures and trends that will be elaborated on in the full socioeconomic report, which is scheduled for release at a later date. By presenting this initial overview, we aim to highlight the critical need for global recognition of ovarian cancer as a health priority and encourage its inclusion in national cancer control plans. The press conference discussion is a call to action, paving the way for the comprehensive insights and detailed analysis that the forthcoming report will provide.
To read about the Coalition, click here.
For a PDF of the UICC Abstract presentation slides, click here.
About Ovarian Cancer
For information about ovarian cancer, including signs and symptoms, risk factors, and key stats, visit here.
For a Data Briefing about the latest projections on incidence and mortality through to 2050, click here.
Backgrounder
One of the primary objectives of this study is to bolster global advocacy efforts and assess the socioeconomic impact of ovarian cancer on patients, caregivers, health systems, and national economies.
Ovarian cancer is a worldwide concern, and much more needs to be done to address it comprehensively. If current trends continue, based on 2022 Globocan mortality rates, nearly eight million women are projected to die from ovarian cancer globally by 2050, with the heaviest burden falling on low- and middle-income countries where 70% of those diagnosed live.
Despite advances in innovative therapies, ovarian cancer remains one of the most lethal cancers. From 2022 to 2050, it is estimated that the disease will claim nearly eight million lives. Globocan’s 2022 projections indicate that by 2050, the annual number of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer will increase by over 55% to 503,448, while the number of annual deaths will rise by nearly 70% to 350,956.
Survival rates for ovarian cancer vary significantly across countries. In more developed nations, five-year survival rates currently range from 36% to 46%, but in some regions, the rates are much lower. Overall, survival rates for ovarian cancer are significantly lower than those for other cancers, such as breast cancer, where five-year survival rates in many countries approach 90%.
Infographic
Q&A
Who is behind the Study?
The study was commissioned by the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, a not-for-profit organisation working with over 200 patient advocacy group members in 37 countries. The Coalition commissioned RTI International Centre for NCD, a non-profit research organisation based in the US. RTI worked closely with the WHO’s Cancer Programme who provided access to various databases and costing analyses and the Coalition, who convened an expert group of clinicians in each of the 11 countries to support the development of the study
Why do this Study?
One of the primary objectives of this study is to bolster global advocacy efforts and assess the socioeconomic impact of ovarian cancer on patients, caregivers, health systems, and national economies.
Ovarian cancer is a worldwide concern, and much more needs to be done to address it comprehensively. If current trends continue, based on 2022 Globocan mortality rates, nearly eight million women are projected to die from ovarian cancer globally by 2050, with the heaviest burden falling on low- and middle-income countries where 70% of those diagnosed live.
Despite advances in innovative therapies, ovarian cancer remains one of the most lethal cancers. From 2022 to 2050, it is estimated that the disease will claim nearly eight million lives. Globocan’s 2022 projections indicate that by 2050, the annual number of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer will increase by over 55% to 503,448, while the number of annual deaths will rise by nearly 70% to 350,956.
Survival rates for ovarian cancer vary significantly across countries. In more developed nations, five-year survival rates currently range from 36% to 46%, but in some regions, the rates are much lower. Overall, survival rates for ovarian cancer are significantly lower than those for other cancers, such as breast cancer, where five-year survival rates in many countries approach 90%.
Why these 11 countries?
The 11 countries were chosen to represent a mix of income groups, as defined by the World Bank, and to ensure a geographical spread across all continents based on population size. The selection did not follow WHO regional groupings but was instead based on where the Coalition has established strong relationships and where it has conducted previous studies on patient experience, such as the Every Woman Study™ (2018) and the ongoing Every Woman Study™: Low- and Middle-Income Edition. This approach provided us with novel data, allowing for a more accurate reflection of practices in LMICs, where data are often difficult to obtain.
How was the analysis conducted?
The analysis was conducted from a societal perspective, quantifying the annual socioeconomic costs of ovarian cancer to patients, caregivers, health systems, and the economy. In line with traditional cost-of-illness analyses, both direct and indirect costs were included.
Direct costs assessed in the analysis encompassed medical costs, such as health system expenses for medications and hospital visits across the continuum of care, as well as non-medical costs, including the value of patient time spent travelling to and receiving care. Indirect costs included losses in labour force productivity due to cancer-attributable absenteeism, presenteeism, and labour force dropout, as well as informal caregiving costs, which accounted for the time caregivers spent providing practical support to patients. Additionally, the analysis reported the societal value of lives lost due to ovarian cancer.
The analysis was conducted using an Excel-based tool known as the Ovarian Cancer Analysis Package (OCAP) (Supplement 1). This tool leveraged data from various editions of the Every Woman Study™ and collaborated with the World Health Organization’s Cancer Programme to develop a micro-costing framework for assessing the resources and costs of providing ovarian cancer care. The analysis also utilised data from novel systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses to assess the impact of cancer on patient labour productivity outcomes and the time caregivers devote to caring for individuals with cancer.
All costs were reported in 2022 USD, with future costs discounted at a rate of three percent.
Where did you get the data?
Our main data sources include the IARC Global Cancer Observatory (2022), WHO Expenditures Database, WHO Costing Analyses and Databases, WHO Cancer Programme, WHO CHOICE Database, Every Woman Study™ (2018 and Low- and Middle-Income Edition), International Labour Organization, Concord-2, the United Nations, and various national databases from the 11 countries involved.
The literature searches were conducted in consultation with RTI librarians. RTI searched two primary databases—PubMed and CINAHL—for peer-reviewed articles describing the hours of unpaid care provided to cancer patients, using a variety of search terms (available upon request). To ensure comprehensive coverage, including grey literature, RTI also scanned reference lists and conducted snowball searches.
What is the biggest cost of ovarian cancer?
The largest share of the socioeconomic burden of ovarian cancer is attributed to the value of lives lost, accounting for 91 percent. Health expenditures related to ovarian cancer contribute seven percent. The remaining burden is made up of the value of patient time, informal caregiving, and labour productivity losses.
Why are there differences between countries?
The analysis revealed significant variation in the socioeconomic burden across different countries, with the total costs as a proportion of GDP ranging widely. These differences can be attributed to factors such as the strength of healthcare systems and access to advanced treatments, which significantly impact healthcare expenditures.
For instance, novel therapies have a substantial influence on healthcare costs, accounting for a large portion of total health spending. Additionally, the valuation of worker productivity and the economic benefits of health improvements contribute to the overall burden, as countries assess the value of life and lost productivity differently. Ultimately this Study was not designed to answer “Why” to any great degree but is more a basis from additional questioning and exploration can begin both at national and global levels.
What other costing studies have been done?
To our knowledge, our study is the first of its kind to examine the socioeconomic cost of ovarian cancer across multiple countries, estimated that the total socioeconomic burden averaged 0.11% of GDP.
This figure is higher than the few other studies that allow for direct comparison: 0.012% in Iran (2014), 0.028% in Spain (2015), and 0.011% across 204 countries (2020-2050). Unlike our study, which values mortality losses among women of all ages, these studies focused on valuing the impact of mortality on productivity among the working-age population. When we applied similar methods, using GDP per capita as a proxy for economic output per worker, our calculated burden would have dropped to 0.027% (simple average) or 0.023% (weighted average)—aligning with other studies. Differences in the costs considered also contribute to variations across studies.
How does this compare to other cancer cost analyses?
Comparing socioeconomic burden (SEB) studies and other health economic analyses across different diseases, including other cancers, can be challenging due to the varying approaches and methodologies used. While our study specifically examined ovarian cancer, which has been discussed above, it’s important to note that ovarian cancer is a rare condition, affecting fewer people than, for example, breast cancer. However, as our findings demonstrate, the global burden of ovarian cancer is still significant.
Patient Stories
Below are videos of patient stories from countries involved in the Study. These stories were captured as part of our Inspiring Voices series of videos.
Bios
The corresponding author is Mikis Euripides, Study Lead.
Bio: Experienced Senior Director with a demonstrated history of working in the health sector. Experience of working in the pharmaceutical industry and patient groups at a senior level. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Public Affairs, Corporate Social Responsibility, Crisis Communications, and Event Management. Strong business development professional with a Master of Science (MSc) focused in Global Politics from Birkbeck, University of London. You can find him on LinkedIn here.
For Bios of the team at RTI involved in the Study, please click here.
Media Contact
For further information including questions about obtaining a copy of our logo and our brand guidelines please contact our Director of Communications and Marketing, Phaedra Charlton, at phaedra@worldovariancancercoalition.org
