Women and Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is typically a disease of post-menopausal women, as age is a major risk factor. However, ovarian cancer has a set of both risk and protective factors that span the pre- and post-menopausal years.
Risk factors1 that may increase the occurrence of ovarian cancer include:
- Age
- Family history
- Genetic factors (BRCA 1/2)
- Hormone replacement
- Fertility drugs
- Obesity
Protective factors that may decrease the occurrence of ovarian cancer include:
- Oral contraceptive use
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Bilateral tubal ligation or hysterectomy
- Prophylactic oophorectomy
Share this page:
1Ovarian Cancer Prevention (PDQ®) [Internet]. National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. [cited 2013 Mar 29] Available from: www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/ovarian/Patient/