Ͼ 30 demographic and clinical variables. The unprecedented size of the file, which includes information for Ͼ 653,000 cases submitted from registries meeting national standards of high data quality, provides extensive opportunities for research on cancer incidence patterns that would not otherwise be possible. This supplement represents one area of research produced from this resource. A description of the NAACCR file data elements can be found in the Table 1. No additional data collection or pathology verification were conducted. Purpose of the SupplementOvarian cancer is relatively uncommon, and therefore to our knowledge little has been published concerning racial or ethnic variations in ovarian cancer incidence or mortality. As the U.S. population becomes more diverse, the interest in health problems and disparities in outcomes among minority and economically disadvantaged groups increases. To address this issue, NAACCR received funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct a descriptive study of ovarian cancer. NAACCR formed a research group from interested representatives of organization members (the Ovarian Cancer Research Group). The group analyzed race-related and ethnicity-related variations in ovarian cancer incidence and outcome. In this supplement, we focus on epidemiology, pathology and classification issues, multiple primary tumors, staging, and incidence and mortality for race/ethnic groups. We also focused on epidemiologic differences between borderline tumors of low malignant potential and carcinomas because borderline tumors will no longer be reportable in 2003. TrendsIn most parts of Europe and North America, the incidence of ovarian cancer was constant during the decades prior to the 1990s.1 A significant increase in ovarian cancer death rates among white women in the U.S. was observed in the 1980s. 2 Both incidence and death rates from ovarian cancer among black women reportedly remained level from 1973-1997. 3 Among white women, ovarian cancer incidence rates were reported to have declined from 1973-1981, increased from 1981-1991, and then reversed again to significantly decline from 1991-1997. 3 Ovarian cancer death rates were stable before 1976, declined from 1976 -1980, leveled off from 1980 -1994, and declined nonsignificantly through 1997. 3 A focus on recent trends between 1992 and 1998 revealed a significant decline in incidence rates of 1.4% per year for all races combined, as well as significant annual declines in white women and Hispanic women. 4 Death rates during the same period (1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)) also demonstrated significant declines of 1.2% per year for all races combined, as well as significant annual declines in white women (-1.1% per year) and Asian/Pacific Islander women (-4.1% per year). Nonsignificant downward trends in death rates also were observed for black, American Indian, and Hispanic women. 4 Epidemiology of Ovarian CancerThe lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is reported to be 1.7%5 and approximately 23,40...

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