Abstract
BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer globally, with environmental and occupational exposures emerging as critical determinants of ovarian carcinogenesis. Despite accumulating evidence, comprehensive global assessments of the burden of ovarian cancer attributable to these risks remain limited, especially among women aged 20-49 years. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021 to evaluate the global burden of ovarian cancer associated with environmental risks and occupational risks among females aged 20-49 years from 1990 to 2021. Outcomes included deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and years of life lost (YLLs). Temporal trends were analyzed using linear regression models, and future projections to 2050 were generated using autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and exponential smoothing (ES) models. RESULTS: In 2021, ovarian cancer linked to environmental risks among females aged 20-49 years resulted in 38 deaths (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 17-69) and 1786 DALYs (95% UI: 781-3233). The age-standardized DALYs rate (ASDAR) was 0.09 per 100,000 population (95% UI: 0.04-0.16). Similar results were observed for occupational risks. From 1990 to 2021, the number of cases and age-standardized rates (ASRs) for ovarian cancer linked to both environmental and occupational risks initially increased and then declined. Regionally, high-middle Sociodemographic Index (SDI) regions exhibited peak ASRs, while middle and low-middle SDI regions showed increasing trends. Projections from 2022 to 2050 indicated an upward trend in the number of cases using the ARIMA model, with decreasing trends for ASDR and ASYLLR. CONCLUSION: Our study highlights the significant burden of ovarian cancer associated with environmental and occupational risks among women aged 20-49 years. The observed trends underscore the need for continued investment in prevention and control strategies, particularly in regions with high ASRs.