{"id":1275,"date":"2021-05-27T11:48:13","date_gmt":"2021-05-27T11:48:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/andrew-krinsky-md\/?p=1275"},"modified":"2021-06-18T11:54:30","modified_gmt":"2021-06-18T11:54:30","slug":"what-are-the-risk-factors-for-ovarian-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/andrew-krinsky-md\/what-are-the-risk-factors-for-ovarian-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are the Risk Factors for Ovarian Cancer?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ovarian cancer occurs when abnormal cell growth occurs in or around the ovaries. This rare but life-threatening disease is the fifth leading cancer death in women. It is crucial to recognize the risk factors,\u00a0 know <\/span>who should get BRCA testing<\/span><\/a>, and take the necessary actions to help reduce your risk of ovarian cancer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Which Client Has the Highest Risk of Ovarian Cancer?<\/b><\/h2>\n

You will have the highest risk of ovarian cancer if you have been diagnosed with or have a family history of ovarian cancer, breast cancer, or colorectal cancer. If anyone on your mother or father\u2019s side has had any of these diseases, you may be at a higher risk of developing these cancers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, having a family cancer syndrome such as Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome (HBOC) increases your risk of ovarian cancer. This condition occurs when there are mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Mutations found in these genes increase the risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer sometime in her life. Most ovarian cancers that are inherited genetically result from the mutations in these two genes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can also be at high risk for ovarian cancer if you had children later on in your life (after age 35) or never had a full-term pregnancy. In addition, the use of hormone therapy after menopause or fertility treatment has been linked to ovarian cancer. Since most ovarian cancer develops after menopause, you would most likely develop this disease when you are older. Your weight and whether or not you smoke are also considering factors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other factors are currently unclear in whether or not they directly affect the development of ovarian cancer. Androgens (male hormones), talcum powder, and a high vegetable or low-fat diet appear to have some links to ovarian cancer, but the results still largely remain inconclusive. Please note that further research needs to be done to determine if these are true, proven risk factors for ovarian cancer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer<\/b><\/h2>\n

Ovarian cancer can be particularly life-threatening because there are little to no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Even when they appear later on after the cancer has advanced, the symptoms can be mistaken for other conditions that aren\u2019t life-threatening. It\u2019s essential to be aware and mindful of the signs so you can seek medical help and identify ovarian cancer as early on as possible. Common symptoms of ovarian cancer are:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n