Ovarian Cancer - Symptoms

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Genetic Mutations. The main genetic mutations associated with increased ovarian cancer risk are:

• BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Inherited mutations in the genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2 increase the risk for ovarian and breast cancers. While these mutations are more common among women of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, they are not restricted to this population and can occur in women of any ethnicity, including women of Asian and African descent. Women with a BRCA1 mutation have about a 40% lifetime risk for ovarian cancer. Women with a BRCA2 mutation have about a 10 - 20% lifetime risk for ovarian cancer. (By contrast, the lifetime ovarian cancer risk for women in the general public is about 1.4%.)
• HNPCC. Women who have genetic mutations associated with hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) have about a 12% lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer

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Obesity. Many studies have found an association between obesity and increased risk for ovarian cancer.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Long-term use (more than 5 years) of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may increase the risk of developing and dying from ovarian cancer. The risk appears to be particularly significant for women who take estrogen-only HRT. The risk is less clear for combination estrogen-progestin HRT. For women who take HRT, those who have a uterus (have not had a hysterectomy) are given combination HRT because progestin helps protect against the development of uterine cancer.

Menstrual and Reproductive History. Women are at increased risk for ovarian cancer if they began menstruating at an early age (before age 12), have not had any children, had their first child after age 30, or experienced early menopause (before age 50).

Risk Factors with Less Conclusive Evidence. Dietary fats have been scrutinized for some time as a possible risk factor for ovarian cancer. While some stidoes have reported an association between a high intake in animal fats and a greater risk, other studies have not found a correlation between fat intake and increased risk for ovarian cancer.