Are You At Risk for Ovarian Cancer?
Since my mother died of ovarian cancer and my grandmother died of breast cancer, I’ve always known that I’m at a higher risk for ovarian cancer. I was tested through BRCA testing and discovered, thankfully, that I was negative. This does mean I’m not at the highest risk but I do have an elevated risk, above the normal population who do not have a close family member with ovarian cancer statistics.
Are you at risk?
Risk Factors
While the presence of one or more risk factors may increase a woman’s chance of getting ovarian cancer, it does not necessarily mean she will get the disease. A woman with one or more risk factors should be extra vigilant in watching for early symptoms. Risk factors include:
- Genetic predisposition
- Personal or family history of breast, ovarian or colon cancer
- Increasing age
- Undesired infertility
Facts
- All women are at risk
- Symptoms exist – they can be vague, but increase over time
- Early detection increases survival rate
- A Pap test DOES NOT detect ovarian cancer (However – just as the article from Monday explains, new research may provide a pap test that does detect some ovarian cancers in the future!
Read more about your risks from the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.
Yesterday I met the gyn onc who will remove my 13 cm ovarian cyst on the 26th, by robotic assisted hysterectomy. One thing he suggested was to have genetic testing. My aunt died of ovarian cancer, her sister had uterine cancer, and their father had colon cancer. I will have it all removed, but I would like to find out what may be in the future for my sister, daughter and neices.
I wont know if my cyst is cancerous until the biopsy during surgery.