The Real Impact of Ovarian Cancer: Understanding the Global Socioeconomic Burden

A comprehensive study by the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition has revealed the true extent of ovarian cancer’s impact across 11 countries, estimating the total socioeconomic burden at $70 billion annually. This research highlights how the effects of ovarian cancer reach far beyond health, touching families, communities, and economies worldwide.

Understanding the Numbers

The study provides valuable insights into how ovarian cancer affects our society:

• $63.6 billion (91% of total costs) represents the value of lives lost prematurely to ovarian cancer
• $5.2 billion is spent annually on healthcare treatments
• Women lose approximately 2.5 million workdays due to illness
• Caregivers provide around 33 days of support per patient annually, totaling 17,112 person-years of care
• The average healthcare cost per case is $34,417

Looking ahead, researchers project that by 2050, ovarian cancer diagnoses will increase by 55% compared to 2022, with nearly half a million women diagnosed with ovarian cancer yearly. The study also notes that 70% of those diagnosed will be in low- and middle-income countries, highlighting the need for global solutions.

The Real Impact of Ovarian Cancer: Understanding the Global Socioeconomic Burden

The Family Experience

“Cancer is a full-body disease, and beyond the patient, it is a family disease. Not everyone dies, but everyone suffers,” says Nimkee Gupta, an ovarian cancer survivor from India.

Each diagnosis creates ripples that affect entire families. Caregivers — often family members — provide countless hours of support, from practical help like cooking and transportation to emotional encouragement.

Read more: Caring for Someone with Ovarian Cancer: A Practical Guide for Family and Friends

As one UK patient advocate shared: “As a family business owner, my diagnosis halved our workforce overnight. My husband had to juggle caregiving, greater responsibilities at work, family, and our household practically overnight with no help or support.”

These personal stories remind us that behind every statistic is a person with loved ones whose lives are also profoundly changed.

Different Impacts Across Regions

The research revealed important differences in how ovarian cancer affects countries at various economic levels:

• Economically, higher-income countries experience a more significant percentage of GDP impact (0.21% compared to 0.03% in lower-income countries)
• However, lower-income countries spend proportionally more of their healthcare dollars per capita on ovarian cancer
• Women in lower-income countries often spend nearly twice as much time traveling to treatment as they do receiving it
• Access to treatments varies significantly: many Canadian patients received PARP inhibitors, while none did in Kenya or Nigeria

Moving Forward Together

The study points to several important areas where we can make meaningful progress. Expanding prevention opportunities through more accessible genetic testing and preventive measures can help identify at-risk individuals earlier. And improving treatment access is critical — in some regions like Malawi, only 25% of women received chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, highlighting the need for broader access to established treatments.

Supporting caregivers is equally important, as the substantial contribution of family members providing care deserves recognition and assistance. Education must also be prioritized, especially in regions where up to 92% of people remain unaware of ovarian cancer. Strengthening healthcare systems by integrating ovarian cancer into National Cancer Control Programs and establishing reliable data collection will help develop more effective responses.

At Not These Ovaries, we’re focused on funding research for better detection, treatment, and care, with special attention to rarer subtypes like borderline ovarian cancer and low-grade serous ovarian cancer. Together, we can improve outcomes for women affected by ovarian cancer and support the families who stand with them.