Overview
Symptoms/Diagnosis
Prevention/Screening
Research
Treatments
Sources

How can Ovarian Cancer be Prevented?

• The use of oral contraceptives for five or more years can reduce ovarian cancer risk by as much as 50 percent. Studies suggest that reducing the number of times a woman ovulates during her lifetime may lower her risk for ovarian cancer.



• Multiple pregnancies, with the first pregnancy before the age of 30.



• Breast feeding.



• Removal of the ovaries (hysterectomy) or tubal ligation for permanent sterilization may reduce, but not eliminate, individual risk.

What are the Risk Factors?

• Increasing age. Most ovarian cancers occur in women over the age of 50, with the highest incidence in women over age 60.



• Family or personal history of ovarian, breast or colon cancer. First-degree relatives (mother, daughter or sister) of a woman who has had ovarian cancer are at a increased likelihood of developing ovarian cancer themselves.



• Use of fertility drugs for more than three cycles.



• No pregancies, first pregnancy after age 30 or infertility. The more children a woman has had, the less likely she is to develop ovarian cancer.



• Presence of BCRA1 or BCRA2 gene mutation.



• Use of talcum powder in the genital area is linked to increased risk.



• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). There is evidence to suggest that women who use HRT after menopause may have an increased risk.

What Screening Tests are Available?

Screening involves looking for signs of cancer in a healthy individual who has no obvious symptoms and who has no physical findings which are suggestive of cancer.

• CA-125 Assay Blood Test
  

CA-125, a tumor marker, is a protein that is shed from damaged ovary cells. It is found in the blood and urine of women with ovarian cancer, often in elevated levels.
The downside to the CA-125 blood test is that CA-125 is can be elevated in other diseases besides ovarian cancer. Also, levels of CA-125 normally fluctuate during a woman's menstrual cycle.


• Transvaginal Ultrasound


This is an imaging technique that uses painless soundwaves that bounce off of tissues and check for growths inside the pelvis. By inserting an ultrasound probe into the vagina, a woman's ovaries can be easily viewed.
The problem with this ultrasound method being used to screen for ovarian cancer is that it causes women to go for unnescessary procedures. This is because no single specific and effective method exists for detection of ovarian cancer.



• CAT Scan
  

A computer linked to an X-ray machine creates a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body.



• Annual Pelvic Examination



During the bi-manual portion of the exam, the physician can usually feel the ovaries, and if any abnormalities are felt, further testing can be done.
The limitation to the pelvic exam is that the early, most curable forms of ovarian cancer are often not noticed. It is designed to find cervical cancer, like the mammogram is used to find breast cancer.



• Surgery



This is the only 100 percent accurate method for screening for ovarian cancer. By examining the ovaries during surgery and taking biopsies of any suspicious-looking tissue, it can be determined if there are malignancies. If ovarian cancer is found, staging will occur during the operation.