-There are several ways you can reduce your risk of developing ovarian cancer.

-It is important to realize that some of these strategies reduce the risk only slightly, while others decrease it much more.

-Some strategies are easily followed, and others require surgery.

-If you are concerned about your risk of ovarian cancer, you may want to discuss this information with your doctor. They can help you consider these ideas as they apply to your own situation.

-Using oral contraceptives (birth control pills) decreases the risk of developing ovarian cancer, especially among women who use them for several years.

-Women who used oral contraceptives for 5 or more years have about a 50% lower risk of developing ovarian cancer compared with women who never used oral contraceptives.

-Still, birth control pills do have some serious risks and side effects. Women considering taking these drugs for any reason should first discuss the possible risks and benefits with their doctor.

-Both tubal ligation and hysterectomy may reduce the chance of developing ovarian cancer, but experts agree that these operations should only be done for valid medical reasons -- not for their effect on ovarian cancer risk.

-If you are going to have a hysterectomy for a valid medical reason and you have a strong family history of ovarian or breast cancer, you may want to consider having both ovaries and fallopian tubes removed (called a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy) as part of that procedure.

-Even if you don’t have an increased risk of ovarian cancer, some doctors recommend that the ovaries be removed with the uterus if a woman has already gone through menopause or is close to menopause.

- If you are older than 40 and you are going to have a hysterectomy, you should discuss having your ovaries removed with your doctor.

Prevention strategies for women with a family history of ovarian cancer

-Genetic counseling can predict whether you are likely to have one of the gene mutations associated with an increased ovarian cancer risk.
-If your family history suggests that you might have one of these gene mutations, you might consider genetic testing.
-Before having genetic tests, you should discuss their benefits and potential drawbacks with the counselor.
-Genetic testing can help determine if you or members of your family carry certain gene mutations that cause a high risk of ovarian cancer. Still, the results are not always clear , and a genetic counselor can help you sort out what the results mean to you.

-For some women with a strong family history of ovarian cancer, knowing they do not have a mutation that increases their ovarian cancer risk can be a great relief for them and their children.

-Knowing that you do have such a mutation can be stressful, but many women find this information very helpful in making important decisions about certain prevention strategies for them and their children.

-Using oral contraceptives is one way that many women can reduce their risk of developing ovarian cancer. Oral contraceptives also seem to reduce the risk for women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations

-But birth control pills can increase breast cancer risk in women without these mutations.

-Research is continuing to find out more about the risks and benefits of oral contraceptives for women at high ovarian and breast cancer risk.

-Research has shown that premenopausal women who have BRCA gene mutations and have had their ovaries removed reduce their risk of breast cancer as well as their risk of ovarian cancer.

-The risk of ovarian cancer is reduced by 85% to 95%, and the risk of breast cancer cut by 50% to 60%.

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