Risk Factors

It is not possible to say what causes ovarian cancer in a single person. We do know there are some features that are more common in women who develop ovarian cancer. These features are called ”risk factors”. 

But it is usually hard to be sure whether a risk factor contributed to the development of the cancer. And having one or more risk factors for ovarian cancer does not mean that a woman will develop this cancer. In fact, many women who have ovarian cancer have no obvious risk factors.

Risk factors for ovarian cancer include:

• getting older
• never having children
• having a family history of ovarian, breast or colon cancer
• inheriting a gene fault, such as BRCA1 or BRCA2, from either parent
• some medical conditions such as endometriosis
• use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) 
• being overweight
• tobacco smoking.

If you have any of these risk factors or you’re worried about your risk for ovarian cancer, yarn with your doctor, nurse, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health worker.