Ovarian cancer is caused by mutations in normal cells, with certain hormones like androgens and estrogens being a probable underlying cause. Risk factors include age, medical history, and genetics, while having children and breastfeeding can reduce the risk. Hormone replacement therapy and long-term use of fertility drugs can increase the risk.
It is not known what causes ovarian cancer, but there are risk factors that can increase a woman’s chance of developing this disease. Like all cancers, ovarian cancer occurs when normal cells mutate and become abnormal, growing rapidly and outliving the body’s normal cells. One of the probable underlying causes of ovarian cancer is the presence of certain hormones, such as androgens and estrogens. Some other possible causes of ovarian cancer include long-term use of fertility drugs, having a uterus, and not having any past pregnancies. While some possible causes are generally avoidable, there are some risk factors that are not, such as age and history of cancer.
One probable cause of ovarian cancer is an overabundance of certain hormones, usually the result of hormone replacement therapy. For example, some studies show that women who take estrogen to suppress menopausal symptoms may increase their risk of getting ovarian cancer. This is especially true for women who have been taking estrogen alone for at least five years, while women taking a combination of estrogen and progesterone have a lower risk of ovarian cancer. Some women have also taken androgens, which are male hormones. This could also increase your risk of ovarian cancer.
Studies have shown that having children and breastfeeding can both reduce your risk of ovarian cancer, meaning that never having children and never breastfeeding can result in slightly higher odds of getting this disease. At the same time, trying to get pregnant through the use of a fertility drug known as clomiphene citrate can increase your risk of ovarian cancer, especially when this drug is taken for more than a year. Women who decide not to have children may benefit from a hysterectomy to remove the uterus, because this can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, as well as the fallopian tube ligament.
Some causes of ovarian cancer cannot be avoided, because they have to do with medical history or genetics. For example, women who have been previously diagnosed with breast cancer tend to have a higher risk of getting ovarian cancer, as do those with family members who have been diagnosed with ovarian, colon or breast cancer. Genetic mutations are also sometimes thought to cause ovarian cancer. The presence of breast cancer gene 1 and breast cancer gene 2, for example, may indicate an increased chance of developing both breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Finally, age is also a factor; women over 55 and those who have gone through menopause have a higher risk of contracting this disease.
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