Risk reducer of ovarian cancer

Risk Reducer: Pregnancy
Women who have biological children are less likely to get ovarian cancer than women who have never given birth. The risk appears to decrease with every pregnancy, and breastfeeding may offer added protection.

Risk Reducer: 'The Pill'
Ovarian cancer is also less common in women who have taken birth control pills. Women who have used the pill for at least five years have about half the risk of women who never took the pill. Like pregnancy, birth control pills prevent ovulation. Some researchers think ovulating less often may protect against ovarian cancer.

Risk Reducer: Tubal Ligation
Getting your tubes tied, formally known as tubal ligation, may offer some protection against ovarian cancer. The same goes for having a hysterectomy – removing the uterus while leaving the ovaries intact.

Risk Reducer: Removing the Ovaries
For women with genetic mutations that put them at high risk for ovarian cancer, removing the ovaries is an option. This can also be considered in women over 40 getting a hysterectomy.

Risk Reducer: Low-Fat Diet
While there is no definitive diet to prevent ovarian cancer, there is evidence that what you eat can make a difference. In one recent study, women who stuck to a low-fat diet for at least four years were less likely to develop ovarian cancer. Some researchers report the cancer is also less common in women who eat a lot of vegetables, but more studies are needed.

What Increases Your Risk of ovarian cancer?

Risk factors for ovarian cancer include:

A family history. Between 10% and 20% of women with ovarian cancer have a close female relative who had ovarian or breast cancer.1 Women with a family history may develop ovarian cancer at an earlier age, such as in their 40s, rather than at the more typical age of postmenopausal women in their 50s. Women who have BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations have between a 16% and 60% chance of developing ovarian cancer during their lifetimes.6

Increasing age. Ovarian cancer most often affects postmenopausal women.

Never having a baby.

Starting menstrual cycles before age 12 and going through menopause at an older age. The more menstrual cycles you have, the more risk you have for ovarian cancer.

Being unable to become pregnant (infertility). Women who do not use birth control and are sexually active but who are unable to become pregnant may have a higher chance for ovarian cancer.

Use of estrogen or hormone replacement therapy. Some studies have shown that some women who use these hormones have a slightly increased risk of developing ovarian cancer, and other studies have shown no increased risk.7, 8, 9 In general, experts advise women considering hormone replacement therapy for symptoms of menopause to take the smallest dose possible to control symptoms, and to take the medicine for the shortest time that they can.

Women who are of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry (Jews whose ancestors came from Eastern Europe) may have an increased risk because of changes to the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. Women with this ancestry have higher rates of these gene changes.