What raises a woman's chance of getting ovarian cancer?

Cancer is a disease in which cells in the body grow out of control.

Cancer is always named for the part of the body where it starts, even if it spreads to other body parts later.

When cancer starts in the ovaries, it is called ovarian cancer. Women have two ovaries that are located in the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus. The ovaries make female hormones and produce eggs.

The ovaries are the part of the female reproductive system that produce eggs every month during a woman's reproductive years. They are located on either side of the lower abdomen. Ovarian cancer occurs when cells in the ovary grow and divide uncontrollably. The cells may form a tumor on the ovary, or they also can break off from the main tumor and spread to other parts of the body. Although ovarian cancer can spread throughout the entire body, in most cases it stays in the abdomen and affects organs such as the intestines, liver and stomach. There are several types of ovarian cancer. However, most cancers of the ovary come from the cells that make up the outer lining of the ovary.

How common is ovarian cancer?

A woman's risk of getting ovarian cancer during her lifetime is about one in 67. The risk of getting this cancer and dying from it is one in 95. Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer in women, excluding skin cancer. It is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women.

When ovarian cancer is found in its early stages, treatment is most effective.

There is no way to know for sure if you will get ovarian cancer. Most women get it without being at high risk.

However, there are several factors that may increase the chance that you will get ovarian cancer, including if you:

• Are middle-aged or older.
• Have close family members (such as your mother, sister, aunt, or grandmother) on either your mother’s or your father’s side who have had ovarian cancer.
• Have had breast, uterine, or colorectal cancer.
• Have an Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jewish background.
• Have never given birth or have had trouble getting pregnant.
• Have endometriosis (a condition where tissue from the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body).

If you have one or more of these factors, it does not mean you will get ovarian cancer. But you should speak with your doctor about your risk.

How is ovarian cancer diagnosed?

Many times women with ovarian cancer have no symptoms or just mild symptoms until the disease is in an advanced stage. Ovarian cancer is difficult to diagnose and is often diagnosed after the disease is advanced. Some diagnostic exams and tests that may be useful are: