Guest Author - Maria Hester, M.D.

Ovarian cancer is a potentially devastating disease. It is the leading cause of death from a gynecologic cancer in America. Each year, over 20,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and over 15,000 women die annually from this disease.

What is the risk of developing ovarian cancer in my lifetime?
The lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer is slightly less than 2 percent.

What are the risk factors for ovarian cancer?
*Advancing age is one risk factor. Most women who develop ovarian cancer are diagnosed between the ages of 50 and 59 years old.
*Family history of ovarian cancer
*Infertility
*Never having a baby, also called nulligravity

What things decrease my risk of ovarian cancer?
*Prior oral contraceptive use
*Prior pregnancy
*Having breastfed in the past
*Having had a tubal ligation

How is ovarian cancer diagnosed?
A pelvic ultrasound can pick up many cases of ovarian cancer.
Tumor markers, especially CA 125, is associated with ovarian cancer.

Should I get these tests done?

At present, clinical trials are underway to determine if routinely screening women with an ultrasound and/or a blood test for CA 125 will decrease the risk of death from ovarian cancer. At present, these tests are not recommended for routine screening in women who are not at high risk of ovarian cancer.
However, those women who have a high risk of developing this disease may benefit from routine screening. For instance, some women have a family history of ovarian cancer or they may be suspected of harboring a hereditary predisposition to ovarian cancer due to a hereditary cancer syndrome. These women should speak with their gynecologists about screening.

What determines the cure rate for ovarian cancer?

Like most cancers, the stage at which the disease is caught is strongly associated with the survival rate. For instance, while most women are not fortunate enough to have their diseases diagnosed in the earliest stage, or stage 1, should they be so fortunate, their five-year survival rate is over 90 percent. By contrast, the five-year survival rate drops to 75 to 80 percent if their disease has spread locally. By the time the disease spreads to distant sites, the survival rate drops to 25 percent. Unfortunately, the overall five-year survival rate is less than 25 percent because most women are diagnosed after there has been at least some degree of spread of the cancer.