Ovarian - Cancer Facts for Women
As with most cancers, ovarian cancer is more likely to occur as women get older. Women who have never had children, who have unexplained infertility, or who had their first child after age 30; women who experienced menopause after age 50; women who use hormone replacement therapy for more than 10 years; women who have a family history of ovarian, breast, endometrial, or colon cancer; and women who have had breast cancer are a little more likely to have this cancer. However, women who do not have any of these conditions can still have ovarian cancer.
What You Can Do
There are no effective and proven tests today for finding the disease early (like mammography for breast cancer). But you should see a doctor promptly if you have persistent symptoms of swelling of the abdomen, digestive problems (including gas, loss of appetite, and bloating), abdominal pain, feeling like you need to urinate all the time, pelvic pain, back pain, or leg pain. A pelvic exam should be a part of a woman's regular health exam.
