Wellness Trend Capsule

  When learning about ovarian cancer, a natural question often comes up: “Can regular health screenings detect ovarian cancer early?” There are established screening tests for some cancers. Mammography is used to screen for breast cancer, while HPV testing and Pap testing are used in cervical cancer screening. It may therefore seem reasonable to assume that regular blood tests or ultrasound examinations could also detect ovarian cancer before symptoms appear. The short answer is that there is currently no effective routine screening test recommended for asymptomatic women at average risk of ovarian cancer. CA-125 blood testing and transvaginal ultrasound can be useful when ovarian cancer is being evaluated in certain clinical situations. However, having tests that can help evaluate ovarian cancer is not the same as having a screening strategy proven to reduce ovarian cancer mortality when routinely used in people without symptoms. So why aren’t CA-125 and ultrasound routinely used...

  After learning about the risk factors for ovarian cancer, a natural question often follows: “Can ovarian cancer be prevented?” At present, there is no proven way to prevent all ovarian cancers that applies to every woman. But that does not mean there is nothing that can be done to reduce risk. Some reproductive and hormonal factors are associated with a lower risk of ovarian cancer. In certain situations, removal of the fallopian tubes may also be discussed as a risk-reducing strategy. For women with a high inherited risk, such as those with pathogenic BRCA1 or BRCA2 variants, more active risk-reduction strategies may be considered. The first important distinction is that preventing ovarian cancer completely is not the same as reducing the chance that it will develop. Is There a Proven Way to Prevent Ovarian Cancer? There is currently no single method that can prevent all ovarian cancers. Ovarian cancer does not develop from one cause alone. Age, inherited genetic factors, fami...

  If someone in your family has been diagnosed with ovarian or breast cancer, or if genetic testing has identified a BRCA gene change, one question may immediately come to mind: “If I have a BRCA mutation, does that mean I will develop ovarian cancer?” Certain inherited harmful changes in BRCA1 and BRCA2—more precisely called pathogenic variants —can substantially increase the risk of ovarian cancer. However, having a BRCA pathogenic variant does not mean that ovarian cancer will definitely develop. What matters is understanding how much the risk increases, how family history should be interpreted, and what a genetic test result may mean for you and your family. What Are BRCA1 and BRCA2? BRCA1 and BRCA2 are sometimes referred to as “breast cancer genes” or even “cancer genes,” but their normal function is not to cause cancer. Both genes produce proteins that help repair damaged DNA and play an important role in protecting cells from becoming cancerous. Everyone normally has two co...

  If you have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, or if someone in your family has had the disease, one of the first questions you may ask is, “Why did ovarian cancer develop?” You may wonder whether it was related to lifestyle, family history, pregnancy, hormones, or something you could have done differently. For most ovarian cancers, however, there is no single identifiable cause. Cancer develops through a complex combination of genetic, biological, reproductive, and other factors, and it is often impossible to determine exactly why ovarian cancer developed in one particular person. This is why it is important to distinguish between a cause and a risk factor . It is also important to recognize that much of what we know about ovarian cancer risk factors comes from research on epithelial ovarian cancer , the most common type of ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer includes several different tumor types, and not every risk factor applies equally to all of them. A Risk Factor Is Not the S...

  When people hear the term “ovarian cancer,” they often think of a single type of cancer that begins in the ovaries. In reality, ovarian cancer includes several different types of cancer, depending on the cells and tissues where the cancer develops. Our understanding of where ovarian cancer begins has also changed. In particular, some of the most common ovarian cancers are now thought to begin not in the ovary itself, but in the fallopian tube. This is one reason why ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancers are often discussed together in medical guidelines and patient information. So what exactly do we mean when we talk about ovarian cancer? What Are the Ovaries? The ovaries are reproductive organs located in the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus. They contain and release eggs and produce hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. Different types of tumors can develop in the ovaries. However, finding an ovarian tumor or cyst does not necessarily mean that can...