Anyone with ovaries can develop ovarian cancer.
Prevention is not yet possible, but certain factors play a role in raising and lowering your risk.
Factors That Raise Ovarian Cancer Risk
Age
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Being 55 years or older
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Most ovarian cancer cases develop after menopause
Gynecological
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First full-term pregnancy after age 35
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No full-term pregnancies
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Late menopause
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Early onset periods
Hormone therapy after menopause
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Estrogen treatment without progesterone
Genetics
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A family history of ovarian, breast or colorectal cancer
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Having a genetic mutation for ovarian, breast or colorectal cancer
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BRCA1, BRCA 2 or Lynch syndrome
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Up to 1 in 4 ovarian cancers are caused by genetic mutations
A previous breast cancer diagnosis
Factors that might increase your risk — but more studies are needed
Research is still ongoing linking ovarian cancer risks to:
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Talcum powder
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Fertility treatments
Factors That Lower Your Ovarian Cancer Risk
Birth control
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IUDs
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Tubal ligation
DYK? Few doctors still recommend tubal ligation. It’s now common to remove the fallopian tubes for permanent sterilization.
Gynecological factors
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Breastfeeding
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Pregnancy carried to full-term
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Each pregnancy carried to full-term lowers your risk further
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Early menopause (before age 45)
Surgery
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Salpingectomy
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Removal of fallopian tubes, often done during another surgery
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Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy
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Removal of both ovaries and fallopian tubes
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Removal of uterus alone
DYK? Most cases of ovarian cancer start with precancerous cells in the fallopian tubes
Removing the fallopian tubes is a low-risk surgery that could reduce your ovarian cancer risk by a lot.
This educational resource was created with support from Daiichi Sankyo and Merck.
