Cancer of the ovary is a significant malignancy in Australian women, being the eighth most common cancer and the sixth most common cause of death. It is the most common cause of death from gynaecological malignancy.
• In Australia in 1999 the age-standardised incidence rate was 10.6 per 100,000 female population. There has been a decline in mortality since 1983, most notable for women less than 55 years of age. Possible explanations for the trend include differences in histological types and prognosis of tumours occurring in the younger age groups, protective effects of oral contraceptive use and improvements in treatment