The clinical relevance of the epidemiology of ovarian cancer.
This paper reviews some clinically relevant aspects of the epidemiology of ovarian cancer. The items presented and discussed are: (1) incidence and mortality data: they show substantial stability in all Western countries over the last few decades; (2) risk factors: the relationships with child-bearing patterns and other reproductive variables (age at menarche and at menopause; oral contraceptives) appear well established but no risk factor is sufficiently strong to be of practical value in prevention or early diagnosis: (3) long-term survival: in spite of the large number of clinical studies that have claimed 'more effective' treatments, no improvement of long-term survival in the population as a whole has been established. Some discrepancies and drawbacks in published trials are discussed, and a different approach towards clinical studies is suggested.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D008572:Menarche; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D012306:Risk; D013997:Time Factors
D003276:Contraceptives, Oral