title: Evaluation of prevalent and incident ovarian cancer co-morbidity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The peak in incidence of ovarian cancer occurs around 65 years and concurrent increasing risk by age for a number of diseases strongly influence treatment and prognosis. The aim was to explore prevalence and incidence of co-morbidity in ovarian cancer patients compared with the general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population was patients with ovarian cancer in Sweden 1993-2006 (n=11 139) and five controls per case (n=55 687). Co-morbidity from 1987 to 2006 was obtained from the Swedish Patient Register. Prevalent data were analysed with logistic regression and incident data with Cox proportional hazards models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women developing ovarian cancer did not have higher overall morbidity than other women earlier than 3 months preceding cancer diagnosis. However, at time of diagnosis 11 of 13 prevalent diagnosis groups were more common among ovarian cancer patients compared with controls. The incidence of many common diagnoses was increased several years following the ovarian cancer and the most common diagnoses during the follow-up period were thromboembolism, haematologic and gastrointestinal complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women developing ovarian cancer do not have higher overall morbidity the years preceding cancer diagnosis. The incidence of many common diagnoses was increased several years following the ovarian cancer. It is crucial to consider time between co-morbidity and cancer diagnosis to understand and interpret associations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden. karin.stalberg@kbh.uu.se
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stålberg
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Svensson
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Granath
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kieler
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tholander
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lönn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology