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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffThere's no sure way to prevent ovarian cancer. But you may be able to reduce your risk of ovarian cancer if you:
- Consider taking birth control pills. Ask your doctor whether birth control pills may be right for you. Women who use oral contraceptives may have a reduced risk of ovarian cancer. But oral contraceptives do have risks, so discuss whether the benefits outweigh those risks based on your situation.
- Discuss your risk factors with your doctor. If you have a family history of breast and ovarian cancers, bring this up with your doctor. Your doctor can determine what this may mean for your own risk of cancer. In some cases, your doctor may refer you to a genetic counselor who can help you decide whether genetic testing may be right for you. If you're found to have a gene mutation that increases your risk of ovarian cancer, you may consider surgery to remove your ovaries to prevent cancer.
References
- Armstrong D. Ovaries and fallopian tubes. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2007:1827.
- Ovarian cancer including fallopian tube cancer and primary peritoneal cancer. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/ovarian.pdf. Accessed Sept. 15, 2010.
- What you need to know about ovarian cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/ovary/allpages. Accessed Sept. 15, 2010.
- Schorge JO, et al. Epithelial ovarian cancer. In: Schorge JO, et al. Williams Gynecology. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.; 2008. http://accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=514. Accessed Sept. 21, 2010.
- Schorge JO, et al. Ovarian germ cell and sex cord-stromal tumors. In: Schorge JO, et al. Williams Gynecology. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.; 2008. http://accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=514. Accessed Sept. 21, 2010.
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