Who is at risk for ovarian cancer?
I wondered about this, too. Most at risk for ovarian cancer, according to the American College of Obstetric and Gynecology, are women who have a family history of ovarian, breast, or colorectal cancer, those with a personal history of breast cancer, and those who have a late menopause (after age 50).
Women who have never been pregnant or who used fertility drugs, HRT, or androgens may also have a higher risk. There are a few genes that also predispose women to getting ovarian cancer (blood tests can tell if you have one of these genes). Obesity and age (over 55) also put you at higher risk for ovarian cancer.
It's interesting which things put you at lower risk for ovarian cancer, too -- having children, breastfeeding, taking birth control pills, for example. Apparently the number of times a woman ovulates is part of the equation; experts are studying that.
