Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian Cancer Causes and Risks
The cause of ovarian cancer is not known. Several risk factors are known, however. Family history plays a huge role. When two or more close relatives (mother, aunt, or sister) have had ovarian cancer, the risk can jump from 1 in 70 to as high as 1 in 2. This relationship is still being studied. Women who have never been pregnant are also at higher risk.

Ovarian Cancer Facts and Symptoms
Ovarian cancer, a tumor of the ovaries, is the second most common gynecologic cancer and it's the deadliest. Ovarian cancer causes more deaths than any cancer of the female reproductive system. And it is the fourth leading cause of death from cancer in women, behind breast, lung and colon cancers. The mortality rate is so high because ovarian cancer spreads quickly. And even when symptoms appear, they tend to be ignored because they are so vague, such as pressure, swelling, bloating, and discomfort in the lower abdomen. A tumor in the ovary can grow for some time before it causes any serious problems. In more than 75 percent of cases, the cancer has spread beyond the ovary before it is diagnosed.

Ovarian Cancer Prevention
How can you protect yourself from ovarian cancer? Birth control pills and pregnancy protect you to some degree. But the only sure way to prevent ovarian cancer is the removal of the ovaries. This type of surgery is recommended mainly for women who are approaching menopause or who are past it, when they are having some other type of gynecological surgery and for women having a family history of the disease, after their childbearing years.