Trends in gynecologic cancer in Japan: incidence from 1980 to 2019 and mortality from 1981 to 2021

In Japan, comprehensive cancer statistics data have been collected through national cancer registries, but these data are rarely summarized and reported in research articles.

Here, we compiled the national registry data on malignant tumors originating from gynecologic organs (ovary, corpus uteri, cervix uteri) in Japan.

The number of new patients in 2019 was 13,380, 17,880, and 10,879, respectively, and the number of deaths in 2021 was 5081, 2741, and 2894, respectively. Compared with 40 years ago, the incidence of ovarian cancer has tripled, the incidence of uterine corpus cancer (mainly endometrial cancer) has increased eightfold, the mortality rate of uterine corpus cancer has tripled, and the incidence of cervical intraepithelial cancer has increased ninefold in data standardized by the world population. Compared with the United States, the incidence rate of ovarian cancer has overtaken and the mortality rate of uterine corpus cancer is the same, while both the incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer are higher in Japan.

The incidence of gynecologic cancer is increasing significantly in Japan.