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OBJECTIVE Optimizing the counselling of women ≤40years with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) by investigating the role of young age and tumour characteristics on overall survival (OS). METHODS A retrospective population-based study was done using data of EOC patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2014 registered in the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Descriptive statistics were performed to analyse clinical and tumour characteristics. Five- and 10-year OS rates were calculated using Kaplan Meier curves. To determine prognostic factors, univariable and multivariable survival analyses were performed. RESULTS 1407 women ≤40years and 29,022 women >40years old were included. OS was higher for the younger women compared to older group (5-year survival of 65.6% vs. 32.7%, 10-year survival of 57.5% vs. 22.5%, respectively). The younger women had more often a mucinous (36.4%), well-differentiated (31.8%) tumour in early stage of disease (49.9%). Serous tumours (43.0%), high-grade (36.0%) and stage III (47.1%) were most frequently found in the older women. Histology, grade, stage, incidence year, and age group are independent prognostic factors for survival. OS of the young women for several combinations of tumour characteristics were calculated. CONCLUSIONS Age is an independent prognostic factor for OS in EOC patients. Counselling on prognosis could be more individualised in young EOC patients using the tumour characteristics histology, stage and grade.