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Risk Factors
Click the Ovarian Cancer Risk Calculator Tool from The Siteman Cancer Center to help determine if you have any ovarian cancer risk factors.
Factors That May Or May Not Increase Your Risk
You don’t have to be at high risk for an ovarian cancer diagnosis. Become familiar with the ovarian cancer risks that are noted below and talk to your health professional about them. If you are a smoker, stopping is a good first step.
- Your age.
- Your genes: The same inherited gene mutations that increase the likelihood of breast cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2 also significantly increase ovarian cancer risk.
Early-stage Ovarian Cancer Symptoms
Until recently doctors thought that ovarian cancer rarely produced any symptoms, and ovarian cancer early detection was not possible. However, new evidence has shown many women do have early-stage ovarian cancer symptoms before the disease has spread
Being aware of these indicators may lead to earlier detection of ovarian cancer (and in some cases other gynecological disease like uterine cancer), before they become life-altering.
Advances In Healthcare Screenings
If you’re at higher risk of developing ovarian cancer, your doctor may recommend regular screenings with pelvic imaging and a specific blood test that measures your level of a protein called CA125.
Age Guidelines
At Any Age
If you have a family history and are at a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer, your health professional may recommend regular screenings with pelvic imaging and a specific blood test that measures your level of a protein called CA125.
Here Is What You Can Do Now
- Pay attention to your body, and know what is normal for you.
- If you notice any changes in your body that are not normal talk to your health professional to rule out any problems.
- Ask your health professional if you should have a diagnostic test or a CA-125 blood test if you have any unexplained signs or symptoms. These tests sometimes help find or rule out ovarian cancer.
Signs And Symptoms
Over the past decade, science has confirmed what women have long known: ovarian cancer has symptoms. Many women report that ovarian cancer symptoms are persistent and represent a change from normal for their own bodies.
The signs and symptoms for ovarian cancer tend to mimic other conditions, including digestive disorders. With a digestive disorder, they tend to come and go. With other gynecological cancers like ovarian cancer, the symptoms are constant and will gradually worsen
If any of these symptoms persist, it is important to check with a health professional.
Reduce Your Chances Of Getting Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is not preventable, however the following list will help to reduce risks of ovarian cancer. It’s also important to talk to your health professional about other things you could be doing:
- Using birth control pills for five or more years.
- Having had a tubal ligation (getting your tubes tied), both ovaries removed, or a hysterectomy (an operation in which the uterus, and sometimes the cervix, is removed).
- Giving birth.
- Breastfeeding. Some studies suggest that women who breastfeed for a year or more may have a modestly reduced risk of ovarian cancer.
Resources: Memorial Sloan Kettering and American Cancer Society, ocrfa.org, Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, CDC
Frequently Asked Questions
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There are important things you need to be made aware of about ovarian cancer prevention and early detection. We’ll share what we’ve researched and learned to date. Read more
Use the ovarian cancer Risk Calculator Tool from The Siteman Cancer Center on this page. It will help you determine what you need to know. Read more
There is no screening test for ovarian cancer. Keeping your body in check will help you keep healthy. Read more
The signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer can mimic other diseases. We’ll tell you what they are. Read more
Learn from this list about helping to reduce your chances. Not all the points will relate to you… Read more
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