One in three women will develop cancer in her lifetime. There are some risk factors that all women should know:

OVARIAN CANCER

Stats:
Every year, there are an estimated 22,430 new cases of ovarian cancer and more than 15,280 deaths from the disease. Ovarian cancer causes more deaths than any other form of cancer of the female reproductive system. Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cause of death from cancer among women in the United States.

Symptoms:
Signs of ovarian cancer include abdominal or pelvic pain or pressure, and bloating, nausea and urinary urgency or frequency. If any of these symptoms persist for more than a week, you should see your doctor. Unfortunately, the symptoms are often a sign that the cancer is advanced, which is one of the reasons ovarian cancer is so deadly.

Risk Factors:
A woman’s risk increases with age and peaks in the late 70s. Ovarian cancer has been shown to have a strong hereditary linkage. Women who have had breast cancer or who have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer or inherited mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes are at increased risk. Studies suggest that preventive surgery to remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes can decrease the risk of ovarian cancers in women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.

Additionally, women who have never had children, women who have had breast cancer, or women who have had hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer are also at a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.

Prevention:
There is no routine screening program for ovarian cancer. By the time there are symptoms indicating that there may be ovarian cancer, the cancer is usually at a later stage. Since early detection is nearly impossible, prevention is key. Pregnancy and the use of oral contraceptives may reduce a woman’s risk for ovarian cancer. The ACS reports that studies suggest that preventive surgery to remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes can decrease the risk of ovarian cancers in women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.

Treatment:
Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and occasionally radiation therapy.

Survival:
Ovarian cancer has a 75% survival rate for patients one year after diagnosis. However, there is only a 45% survival rate five years after diagnosis. If diagnosed at the localized stage, the 5-year survival rate is 92%, however only 19% of ovarian cancers are caught at this stage.