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The estimated number of new ovarian cancer cases in Europe in 2012 was 65 538 with 42 704 deaths [1]. There is variation in the incidence rate across the continent with a higher incidence in northern European countries. In the USA, there were∼ 20 400 newly diagnosed cases and 14 400 deaths in 2009 [2]. Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common type of cancer in women and the fourth most common cause of cancer death in women. The estimated lifetime risk for a woman developing ovarian cancer is about 1 in 54.

Ovarian cancer is predominantly a disease of older, postmenopausal women with the majority (> 80%) of cases being diagnosed in women over 50 years. The exact cause of ovarian cancer remains unknown but many associated risk factors have been identified. A woman’s reproductive history appears to contribute significantly to her lifetime risk of ovarian cancer. Those women who have had …