DNA Direct: Your Genes in Context

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Testing for Genetic Disorders

Related Genetic Tests

Breast & Ovarian Cancer Risk

Includes pre- and post-test counseling, and a letter for your doctor

Price: $851.00 - $3,531.00

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Pre-test & Post-test Consultation

Our genetic experts can counsel you before and after testing.

Price: $250 per hour

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BREAST & OVARIAN CANCER RISK

Who Is At Risk for Ovarian Cancer?

The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 1 in 58 women in the US (or 1.7 percent ) will develop ovarian cancer over the course of their lives.

This translates to approximately 25,580 women developing ovarian cancer and 16,000 women dying as a result of their disease in the year 2004. Ovarian cancer accounts for 4 percent of all cancers in women. Her lifetime chance of dying from ovarian cancer is around 1 percent (or 1 in 98). The risk of developing and dying from ovarian cancer is higher for white women than black women.

As is the case with most cancers, ovarian cancer risk increases with age. The highest rates of ovarian cancer occur in women over age 60.The second most important risk factor is having European or North American ancestry.

It's important to keep in mind that the statistics above apply to the general population. There are a number of risk factors that determine each woman's individual risk for ovarian cancer. In addition to older age, doctors believe there are a number of genetic and environmental factors that increase a woman's risk for developing ovarian cancer.

When considering your personal risk for ovarian cancer, it is important to keep in mind that risk factors are not absolute: you can have risk factors and never develop ovarian cancer. Alternatively, some people who do not have any risk factors still develop the disease.

Genetic Factors
Nongenetic Factors

Genetic Factors

Genes play a role in every aspect of our body and its development, from defining visible traits such as skin and eye color, to influencing the development of cancer.

Scientists believe that approximately 10 percent of ovarian epithelial cancer can be attributed to inherited alterations, or mutations, in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. In women with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, however, that rate is believed to be as high as 40 percent, as a result of their genetic heritage.

Mutations in these two genes also confer an increased risk of other cancers, primarily breast cancer. The genetic cancer syndrome called HNPCC (hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer), also increases a woman's risk of developing ovarian cancer, although less than 2 percent of ovarian cancers are thought to be attributed to the syndrome. HNPCC is also characterized by an increased risk for colon, endometrial, and stomach cancer.