How To Prevent Ovarian Cancer

It is not entirely clear what causes ovarian cancer. Therefore, it is difficult to focus efforts on specific mechanisms for prevention. There is no effective screening tests are available. So, what may you do to reduce your risk of developing ovarian cancer?

Dietary factors
First, consider your diet. Some studies show an association with a Western diet high in fat, refined sugar and red meat.

Pregnancy and "Pill"
Pregnancy and oral contraceptives have been shown to reduce risk in multiple epidemiological studies. Basically, the more years your ovaries are in a state of non-active ovulation, due to pregnancy or oral contraceptives, the lower the risk. The exact mechanism is not known prevention. This perceived lack of trauma associated with either ovarian or direct hormonal effects of progesterone (hormones).

Vitamin A
Fenretidine, type of synthetic vitamin A, can protect women against both breast and ovarian cancer. Although scientific studies do not all agree, the evidence of several types of experimental studies including animal data, epidemiological data and clinical trials. A large international clinical trial randomized currently underway.

Pain Relievers
Acetaminophen and ibuprofen, general pain relief products, have both been shown to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, not using aspirin. The way they do this is unclear, but may be due to ovulation reduce or biochemical effects on something called COX-2 cyclooxygenase pathway.

Surgical Options 
Although not recommended as an intervention to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, there are at least seven studies showed that all tubal ligation protects against ovarian cancer. If you have a tubal ligation you are at low risk, but doctors would not agree with tubal ligation for prevention only. The same applies to hysterectomy without removal of the ovaries. There is a preventive effect, but the mechanisms remain unclear.

Removal of the ovaries is the most direct surgical way to reduce risk and are generally recommended for patients at high risk due to family history or have tested positive for BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene changes. A large clinical trial recently concluded and we all waited for the adult data. Does this mean that we should wait a while to see if the removal of the ovaries in women enrolled in this study will indeed prevent cancer of the ovaries during the next few years.

The results of several studies before this one strongly suggest that this strategy works to prevent 99% of ovarian cancer in those who have undergone ovariectomy. A very similar cancer that affects the entire internal abdominal lining, called primary peritoneal cancer, can still occur despite the removal of the ovaries. The main question that remains is women who are at high risk of ovarian cancer to justify the risks of surgery.