Most women have one or more risk factors for ovarian cancer. But risk factors only partly explain the disease, since most of them increase risk only slightly. So far, knowledge about risk factors has not led to ways to prevent the disease.

Some of the things listed below may reduce the risk of the most common type of ovarian cancer (epithelial) only slightly, while others may decrease it much more. If you are concerned about your risk, especially if you have a family history of cancer, you should talk to your doctor.

Birth control pills: Birth control pills reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, especially among women who use them for 5 years or more. These women have about half the risk of getting ovarian cancer compared with women who never used the pill.

Surgery: "Tying" the tubes (tubal ligation) and removing the uterus (hysterectomy) can both lower the chance of getting ovarian cancer. But these operations should only be done for a good medical reason and not just for their effect on ovarian cancer risk.

If you are going to have a hysterectomy for a medical reason and you have a strong family history of ovarian or breast cancer, you might think about having both ovaries removed (bilateral oophorectomy) at the same time.

Prevention for women with a family history of ovarian cancer as well as cancer due to gene changes (mutations)

Women with a family history of ovarian cancer might want to think about genetic counseling and maybe genetic testing. Before asking for the test, a woman should discuss the benefits and possible drawbacks with her doctor. Genetic testing can tell if a woman carries certain gene changes that cause a higher risk of ovarian cancer. Learning that she does not have the gene change can be a great relief, while finding out that she does can be quite stressful. Still, the information can be helpful in looking at methods to prevent cancer.

Using the birth control pill (oral contraception) is one way that women at average risk of developing ovarian cancer can reduce their risk for this disease. The pill also seems to reduce the risk for women with certain gene changes (known as BRCA1 and BRCA2). But some studies suggest that the pill might increase breast cancer risk in those who have the gene change. Research is going on to find out more about the risks and benefits of the pill for women at high ovarian and breast cancer risk.

Researchers agree that taking out both ovaries and fallopian tubes protects women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations against ovarian and fallopian tube cancer. As a rule, this surgery is recommended only for very high-risk patients after they are done having children. This operation lowers ovarian cancer risk a great deal but does not entirely get rid of it. This is because some women who have a high risk of ovarian cancer already have a cancer at the time of surgery. These ovarian cancers can be so small that they are only found when the ovaries are looked at under the microscope (after they are removed). Also, women who have had their ovaries removed can still get a type of cancer called primary peritoneal carcinoma, but this is rare.

Last Medical Review: 09/14/2009
Last Revised: 09/14/2009