Ovarian cancer

A woman without a BRCA mutation and without ovarian cancer in her family has about a 1% chance of ever getting ovarian cancer in her lifetime. So, only few women get ovarian cancer. A woman with a BRCA1 mutation has an increased risk of ovarian cancer (as well as breast cancer) however. A woman with ovarian cancer often has a shorter livespan.

Ovarian cancer is not just cancer of the ovaries but is a collective term for cancer of: the ovaries, fallopian tubes and peritoneum. The peritoneum cannot be removed, therefore there always remains a small risk of 'ovarian cancer'.

Can you notice if you have ovarian cancer?

Ovarian cancer usually causes few or only vague symptoms in the beginning. Ovarian cancer also cannot yet be detected at an early stage. Regular examination of the ovaries with ultrasounds and measuring blood values (CA-125) does not work. As a result, this type of cancer is often discovered after the disease has already spread. Usually it is then too late to cure the ovarian cancer. Most women with late-detected ovarian cancer die within 5 years, even after treatment. This happens to about 60 out of 100 women with ovarian cancer. When ovarian cancer does get detected early, up to 25 out of 100 women still die within 5 years.