Skip to main content
MENU

Know the Risk Factors

While most women with ovarian cancer do not have any known risk factors, some do exist. If a woman has one or more risk factors, she will not necessarily develop ovarian cancer; however, her risk may be higher than the average woman’s.


Genetics: BRCA1 and BRCA2

About 20 to 25 percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer have a hereditary tendency to develop the disease. The most significant risk factor for ovarian cancer is an inherited genetic mutation in one of two genes: breast cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) or breast cancer gene 2 (BRCA2). These genetic mutations are responsible for about 10 to 15 percent of all ovarian cancers.

Eastern European women and women of Ashkenazi Jewish descent are at a higher risk of carrying BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. In addition, women of Hispanic heritage, including those from Colorado's San Luis Valley, are at higher risk for carrying the mutation.

Since these genes are linked to both breast and ovarian cancer, women who have had breast cancer have an increased risk of ovarian cancer. You can find more detail about BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in the Ovarian Cancer Risk Consensus Statement—BRCA1 and BRCA2, which the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance endorsed in 2012.

Source: Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance

https://ocrahope.org/patients/about-ovarian-cancer/risk-factors/

You can learn more about Genetic Testing and Hereditary Cancer by visiting the Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE) website.

Should YOU get genetic testing? 

  • Experts recommend all women diagnosed with fallopian tube, ovarian, or primary peritoneal cancer at any age have genetic counseling and testing. About 15-20% of women diagnosed with fallopian tube, ovarian or primary peritoneal cancer will test positive for an inherited mutation that caused their cancer. 
  • Genetic counseling and testing is also recommended for anyone with a first-degree or second-degree relative who has been diagnosed with any of these cancers at any age. (Second-degree relatives include grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, niece, and nephew.)

Genetics: Lynch Syndrome

Another known genetic link to ovarian cancer is an inherited syndrome called hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC or Lynch Syndrome). While HNPCC poses the greatest risk of colon cancer, women with HNPCC have about a 12 percent lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer.

Women who have one first-degree relative with ovarian cancer but no known genetic mutation still have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer.  The lifetime risk of a woman who has a first degree relative with ovarian cancer is five percent (the average woman’s lifetime risk is 1.4 percent).

Learn more about Lynch Syndrome.


Increasing Age

All women are at risk of developing ovarian cancer regardless of age; however, a woman’s risk is highest during her 60s and increases with age through her late 70s.

About 69 percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the United States from 2002 to 2006 were 55 or older.

The median age (at which half of all reported cases are older and half are younger) at diagnosis is 63.


Reproductive History and Infertility

Research suggests a relationship between the number of menstrual cycles in a woman’s lifetime and her risk of developing ovarian cancer. A woman is at an increased risk if she:

  • started menstruating at an early age (before 12),

  • has not given birth to any children,

  • had her first child after 30,

  • 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.


Oral Contraceptives (birth control pills)

The use of oral contraceptives 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.


Hormone Replacement Therapy

Doctors may prescribe hormone replacement therapy to alleviate symptoms associated with menopause (hot flashes, night sweats, sleeplessness, vaginal dryness) that occur as the body adjusts to decreased levels of estrogen. Hormone replacement therapy usually involves treatment with either estrogen alone (for women who have had a hysterectomy) or a combination of estrogen with progesterone or progestin (for women who have not had a hysterectomy).

Various recent studies have shown:

  • Using menopausal hormone therapy prior to diagnosis extends ovarian cancer survival. ocrahope.org
  • A study published by Obstetrics and Gynecology suggest that hormone therapy (HT) can be used safely to manage menopausal symptoms in women who have undergone treatment for nonserous epithelial ovarian cancer. The study showed no reduction in overall survival with HT use in the entire study population, and it appears to positively influence disease-free survival among younger women. www.medscape.com

Bottom line: talk to your gynecologic oncologist about YOUR risk of utilizing hormone replacement therapy!


Obesity

Various studies have found a link between obesity and ovarian cancer. A 2009 study found that obesity was associated with an almost 80 percent higher risk of ovarian cancer in women 50 to 71 who had not taken hormones after menopause.


Reducing Risk

While there is no prevention method for the disease, women can reduce the risk of developing ovarian cancer in many ways:

  • Oral Contraceptive Use - 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.

  • Removal of the Ovaries and Fallopian Tubes - Women can greatly reduce their risk of ovarian cancer by removing their ovaries and fallopian tubes, a procedure known as prophylactic bilateral salpingo oophorectomy. One recent study suggests that women with BRCA1 mutations gain the most benefit by removing their ovaries before age 35. There are risks associated with removing the ovaries and fallopian tubes; women should speak to their doctors about whether this procedure is appropriate for them.

All women are at risk because ovarian cancer does not strike only one ethnic or age group. A healthcare professional can help a woman identify ways to reduce her risk as well as decide if consultation with a genetic counselor is appropriate.

Source: Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance