September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
Posted on August 30, 2023
Ovarian cancer can involve the ovaries or related areas of the fallopian tubes or peritoneum—the membrane that lines abdominal organs. Ovarian cancer is much less common than breast cancer (1 in 78 women will get ovarian cancer, compared to 1 in 8 for breast cancer); however, ovarian cancer causes more deaths than other gynecologic cancers.
Why is ovarian cancer so deadly?
The symptoms of ovarian cancer are not specific and are often the same as symptoms caused by other conditions. They frequently don’t show up until the disease is advanced, often after it has spread to other organs in the body. Common complaints include:
- Bloating; pelvic or abdominal pain; swollen belly combined with weight loss
- Trouble eating or a feeling of fullness; feeling like you need to urinate right away; constipation
- Pain during sex; back pain
Factors that may increase your risk include:
- Your age. The disease is most common in women 55 years and older, though younger women can get it too.
- Your pregnancy history. Women who have never been pregnant or had a full-term pregnancy, or those who had their first full-term pregnancy after age 35, are at higher risk.
- Your weight. Being at an unhealthy weight increases risk.
- If you take hormone replacement therapy. That’s especially true if you take estrogen alone or with progesterone after menopause.
- Your personal or family medical history. Having a close female relative with ovarian cancer or a family or personal history of breast, uterine or colorectal cancer raises your risk.
- If you carry certain genes. These include the breast cancer genes.
- Your race/ethnicity. White women and women with Eastern European or Ashkenazi Jewish backgrounds are at higher risk.
- If you have endometriosis.
- If you smoke.
If you are experiencing uncomfortable, persistent symptoms, even if they’re vague, or if you have risk factors for the disease, talk to your primary care provider. It may save your life.
Sources: American Cancer Society; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
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