Epidemiological Shifts in Ovarian Cancer Burden: Regional Differences and the Influence of Socioeconomic Factors

Ovarian cancer remains a critical global health challenge, ranking eighth in incidence and accounting for 3.4% of new cancer cases and 4.8% of cancer deaths in 2022. Using GBD 2021 data (204 countries, 1990–2021), we assessed age-standardized incidence, prevalence, and DALYs against SDI. Incident cases nearly doubled (159 096→298 876), yet ASRs declined by 0.38% (incidence), 0.07% (prevalence) and 0.59% (DALYs) per year. Regional trends diverged—Andean Latin America saw the largest ASR increase; Australia experienced the steepest decline. High-SDI regions maintained the highest burden but showed sustained declines, whereas low- and middle-SDI regions saw rising rates. Population growth (86.7%) and aging (38.5%) drove DALY increases. Despite narrowing inequalities, the absolute burden persists, highlighting the need for precision detection in high-SDI settings and strengthened care in lower-SDI regions.