Ovarian Cancer Survival Rate: An Introduction
The
ovarian cancer survival rate indicates the percentage of people with a certain type and stage of ovarian cancer who survive the disease for a specific period of time after their diagnosis. In most cases, statistics refer to the 5-year ovarian cancer survival rate. The 5-year ovarian cancer survival rate is the percentage of people who are alive 5 years after an
ovarian cancer diagnosis, whether they have few or no signs or symptoms of ovarian cancer, are free of disease, or are having treatment for ovarian cancer.
Survival rates are based on large groups of people and cannot be used to predict what will happen to a particular patient. No two patients are exactly alike, and
ovarian cancer treatment and responses to treatment vary greatly.
Factors Influencing the Ovarian Cancer Survival Rate
In general, the ovarian cancer survival rate will depend on:
Overall Ovarian Cancer Survival Rate
Survival rates can be calculated by different methods for different purposes. The survival rates presented here are based on the relative survival rate. The relative survival rate measures the survival of ovarian cancer patients in comparison to the general population to estimate the effect of cancer. The overall 5-year relative ovarian cancer survival rate for 1996-2002 was 44.7 percent. The 5-year relative ovarian cancer survival rates by race and sex were:
- 44.2 percent for white women
- 39.5 percent for black women.
