The Facts About Ovarian Cancer
The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2023, about 19,710 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed and 13,270 women will die of ovarian cancer in the United States.
Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of gynecologic cancers.
Mortality rates are slightly higher for African American women than for Caucasian women.
A woman’s lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer is 1 in 78.
Only 15 percent (14.8 percent) of ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed with early stage disease.
Who is Most at Risk
Family history of breast, ovarian or colon cancer
Genetic mutations like BRCA, Lynch Syndrome
Post-menopausal
Personal history of cancer or endometriosis
started menstruating at an early age (before 12)
has not given birth to any children
experienced menopause after 50
has never taken oral contraceptives
Infertility, regardless of whether or not a woman uses fertility drugs, also increases the risk of ovarian cancer
Use of hormone replacement therapy
Obesity
Know the Symptoms
Ovarian cancer does have symptoms, but they are often very subtle and easily mistaken for other, more common problems. In some rare cases, early stage ovarian cancers may produce symptoms, but in the majority of women these don’t show up until the cancer has advanced (when the growth of the tumor triggers symptoms). Several studies show that ovarian cancer can produce these symptoms:
Swollen or bloated abdomen
Pelvic or abdominal pain
Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
Urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency)
Constipation
Unusual vaginal bleeding
Decrease Your Risk
The use of oral contraceptives (birth control pills) decreases the risk of developing ovarian cancer, especially when used for several years. Women who use oral contraceptives for five or more years have about a 50 percent lower risk of developing ovarian cancer than women who have never used oral contraceptives.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Pregnancy and breastfeeding are linked with a reduced risk of ovarian cancer, likely because women ovulate less frequently when pregnant or breastfeeding. Multiple pregnancies or having first full-term pregnancy before the age of 26 decreases risk.
Primary peritoneal cancer, which is microscopically almost identical to ovarian cancer, can still occur, but is infrequent. One recent study suggests that women with BRCA1 mutations gain the most benefit by removing their ovaries before age 35.
Having a hysterectomy, or removal of the uterus while leaving the ovaries, may decrease the risk of ovarian cancer by 33 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. Having fallopian tubes tied (tubal ligation) may reduce risk by up to 67 percent, the American Cancer Society says, though researchers aren’t sure why this is the case.
Information courtesy of The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance https://ocrahope.org/patients/about-ovarian-cancer/risk-factors/