The Age-standardized Incidence Rate of Ovarian Cancer in Iranian Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: Cancer is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Among gynecological cancers, ovarian cancer is the first cause of cancer-related deaths. However, only a few studies have evaluated the age-standardized incidence rate of ovarian cancer in Iranian women. Therefore, the present study aims to systematically review the age-standardized incidence rate of ovarian cancer in Iran. Methods: We systematically reviewed the literature that pertained to the incidence rate of ovarian cancer among Iranian women. In May 2016, we performed searches of national scientific databases that included SID, Magiran, IranMedex, and IranDoc. Searches of international databases included PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. The retrieved studies were then assessed according to the study’s inclusion criteria. Results: In this review, we included 14 from 115 articles obtained through searching national and international databases, grey literature, and hand searching. Based on the random effects model, the age-standardized incidence rate of ovarian cancer was 3.19 (95% CI: 2.78-3.59). Conclusion: The study results indicated that the age-standardized incidence rate of ovarian cancer was considerably low in Iran. The registration methodology normally used by cancer registries has probably led to an underestimation of the incidence rate of ovarian cancer among Iranian women. Thus, we recommend the establishment of cancer registries that cover a broader population.