Who is affected by ovarian cancer?

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death in women.¹ It most often affects postmenopausal women.

Women who have family members with ovarian cancer—especially first-degree relatives such as a mother, sister, or daughter—who have had ovarian cancer have a higher risk of getting it themselves.²

Women who are of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry or Icelandic ethnicity may have an increased risk because of changes to the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. Women with this ancestry have higher rates of these gene changes.³

Women who have had breast cancer have twice the risk of developing ovarian cancer compared to women who have not had breast cancer.³ Women who have a history of breast cancer in their family also have an increased risk for ovarian cancer.

Author:	Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH	Last Updated: July 10, 2007
Medical Review:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Ross Berkowitz, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
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