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 | Ovarian Cancer
The Facts
Ovarian cancer if the fifth most common cancer in women. Approximately 27,000 cases occur annually; however it causes over 14,000 deaths a year, more than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. This is largely because it is a silent cancer with no obvious signs or symptoms until its late stages.
Who Is At Risk?
As with most cancers, the risk of getting ovarian cancer increases with age. Women who have never had children, women who have a family history of ovarian cancer, and women who have had breast cancer are at somewhat higher risk for this cancer. However, most women who get ovarian cancer do not have any of these risk factors. Pregnancy and the use of oral contraceptives decrease the risk of ovarian cancer: the risk decreases as the number of pregnancies and years of use of oral contraceptives increases.
The Best Defense: Regular Checkups
Periodic, thorough pelvic exams are important. Unfortunately, there are no effective and proven tests for detecting the disease early. The Pap smear, so effective in detecting cervical cancer in its early stages, only rarely detects ovarian cancer and usually in its late stages. Genetic testing may soon be useful in predicting risk of ovarian cancer in some high-risk families.
(This information was adapted from The American Cancer Society.)
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