Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors

Ovarian cancer is something that all women fear due to its notoriously bad remission rates. This is why all women should do whatever is in their power to prevent this cancer. There are things that you can start doing today to lower your risk. Some risk factors are outside of your control, but controlling the controllable ones will go a long way in prevention.

Age

You probably saw this one coming and unfortunately no woman can control how old she is. Women younger than 40 can get this cancer, but it is very rare. It almost always occurs after you have gone through menopause with half of all cases in women older than 63.

Obesity

This is a risk factor that you can control. If your body mass index is at least 30, then it is time to start talking to your doctor about a diet and exercise plan. It is estimated that the heavier you are the higher your risk. In fact, very heavy women are 50 percent more likely to develop this cancer. 50 percent is a really scary number. To add gasoline to the fire, obese women have a higher chance of death related to this cancer than their thinner peers.

How Many Kids You Have Had

If you have never had children then your risk of ovarian cancer is higher than your friends who have some kids. With each pregnancy, your risk of this cancer decreases. If you take birth control pills for over five years your risk is significantly lower. So, if you do not have kids and are not looking to have any, but can still reproduce, it would not hurt to talk to your doctor to see if birth control pills are right for you.

Surgical History

If you have had a gynecological surgery, then your risk of ovarian cancer is lower even when your ovaries are left intact. You cut your risk by one-third when you have a hysterectomy and keep your ovaries, and you lower your risk by as much as 67 percent when you have your tubes tied.

Fertility Drugs

Some women are unable to naturally conceive and opt to use medications to try and get pregnant. Some studies show that using Clomid for longer than a year can increase your risk for experiencing tumors on your ovaries. The risk appears to be higher if you take this drug and it does not end in pregnancy. Now, these tumors are not always malignant, but it is something to think about. More research is being done to look at how different fertility treatments affect your risk of ovarian cancer.

Estrogen Therapy

After menopause some women elect to have estrogen therapy to help reduce the side effects of menopause. If you take only estrogen, it seems like your risk is a bit higher than it is for women taking both estrogen and progesterone. You have to use estrogen therapy for at least five years before this risk starts. If you are taking a combination of progesterone and estrogen, there is still a risk, but it is lower than taking just estrogen alone.