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Cancer begins with a change (mutation) in the structure of the DNA in cells, which can affect how they grow. This means that cells grow and reproduce uncontrollably, producing a lump of tissue called a tumour.
Ovarian cancer is any cancerous growth that may occur in different parts of the ovary. The majority of ovarian cancers arise from the epithelium (outer lining) of the ovary. In ovarian cancer, cells in the ovary start to change and grow abnormally. If the cancer isn't identified at an early stage, it can spread to the abdomen and pelvis, including other parts of the female reproductive system. Scientists do not know what exactly causes ovarian cancer, but according to the American Cancer Society, there are some factors that make a woman more likely to develop epithelial ovarian cancer, which is the most common form of ovarian cancer.
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1. Family history: Most women who develop ovarian cancer do not have an inherited gene mutation. Women with close relatives who have/had ovarian cancer, as well as breast cancer, have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer compared to other women. Women with close relatives who have/had colon cancer, prostate cancer or uterine cancer are also at higher risk of ovarian cancer.
2. Age: Your risk of ovarian cancer increases with age, with most cases occurring after the menopause. More than 8 out of 10 cases of ovarian cancer occur in women who are over 50 years of age.
3. Breast Cancer: Women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.
4. Obesity/overweight: Being obese or overweight increases the risk of developing many cancers. The more overweight you are, the higher the risk. Several studies have also shown that obese cancer patients are more likely to have faster advancing ones compared to cancer patients of normal weight. Obese older women who have never used hormone replacement therapy have nearly twice the risk of their normal weight peers of developing ovarian cancer, according to a study by the researchers at the National Cancer Institute.
5. Shift work: Women who work shifts are more likely to develop ovarian cancer than other females, scientists from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, USA, revealed in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. In the same issue of the journal, other authors explained in an Accompanying Commentary that "night-type people" ("owls") who work shifts are less likely to have a higher ovarian cancer risk compared to "morning types" ("larks").
6. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): Women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have been shown to have a small increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a treatment used to relieve symptoms of the menopause. It replaces female hormones that are at a lower level as you approach the menopause. However, if HRT is stopped, after five years the risk is reduced to the same level as women who've never taken HRT.
7. High Number of Total Lifetime Ovulations: There is a link between the total number of ovulations during a woman's life and the risk of ovarian cancer. Four principal factors influence the total:
PS: This information put together as a guide are culled from health-related articles on websites, journals, and videos.
Ovarian cancer is any cancerous growth that may occur in different parts of the ovary. The majority of ovarian cancers arise from the epithelium (outer lining) of the ovary. In ovarian cancer, cells in the ovary start to change and grow abnormally. If the cancer isn't identified at an early stage, it can spread to the abdomen and pelvis, including other parts of the female reproductive system. Scientists do not know what exactly causes ovarian cancer, but according to the American Cancer Society, there are some factors that make a woman more likely to develop epithelial ovarian cancer, which is the most common form of ovarian cancer.
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1. Family history: Most women who develop ovarian cancer do not have an inherited gene mutation. Women with close relatives who have/had ovarian cancer, as well as breast cancer, have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer compared to other women. Women with close relatives who have/had colon cancer, prostate cancer or uterine cancer are also at higher risk of ovarian cancer.
2. Age: Your risk of ovarian cancer increases with age, with most cases occurring after the menopause. More than 8 out of 10 cases of ovarian cancer occur in women who are over 50 years of age.
3. Breast Cancer: Women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.
4. Obesity/overweight: Being obese or overweight increases the risk of developing many cancers. The more overweight you are, the higher the risk. Several studies have also shown that obese cancer patients are more likely to have faster advancing ones compared to cancer patients of normal weight. Obese older women who have never used hormone replacement therapy have nearly twice the risk of their normal weight peers of developing ovarian cancer, according to a study by the researchers at the National Cancer Institute.
5. Shift work: Women who work shifts are more likely to develop ovarian cancer than other females, scientists from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, USA, revealed in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. In the same issue of the journal, other authors explained in an Accompanying Commentary that "night-type people" ("owls") who work shifts are less likely to have a higher ovarian cancer risk compared to "morning types" ("larks").
6. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): Women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have been shown to have a small increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a treatment used to relieve symptoms of the menopause. It replaces female hormones that are at a lower level as you approach the menopause. However, if HRT is stopped, after five years the risk is reduced to the same level as women who've never taken HRT.
7. High Number of Total Lifetime Ovulations: There is a link between the total number of ovulations during a woman's life and the risk of ovarian cancer. Four principal factors influence the total:
- Never having been pregnant- women who have never become pregnant have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer compared to women who have became pregnant. The more times a woman has become pregnant the lower her risk is.
- Never having taken the contraceptive pill- women who have never been on the contraceptive pill have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer compared to women who have. Taking the Pill for 15 years halves the risk of ovarian cancer, a study by the Collaborative Group on Epidemiological Studies of Ovarian Cancer found.
- Early start of menstruation (early menarche)- women who started their periods at an early age have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.
- Late start of menopause- women whose menopause started at a later age than average have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.
PS: This information put together as a guide are culled from health-related articles on websites, journals, and videos.
