Risk Factors
In addition to taking notice of any symptoms, there are also risk factors for ovarian cancer that women should be aware of:8
- Age—65% of diagnosed women are 55 or older, with the median age being 63
- Early age at first period
- Late age at menopause
- Personal or family history of breast, ovarian, fallopian tube, or colon cancer
- Reproductive history and infertility—there is an increased risk in women who began menstruating before they turned 12, had no children, had their first child after they turned 30, and/or had menopause after age 50. Infertility also appears to increase the risk
- Caucasian
- History of endometriosis
Recent findings also hint at a link between obesity and ovarian cancer, although more research needs to be done for this to be conclusive.8
Although having one or more of these risk factors can increase the chances of getting ovarian cancer, it is important to know that all women are at risk and early detection is the key to improved prognosis and survival rates.
