September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, a time to highlight one of the most difficult gynecologic cancers to detect and treat. Though ovarian cancer is not among the most common cancers, it carries significant risks because of its vague early symptoms and lack of a reliable screening method.
Ovarian cancer is the deadliest cancer of the female reproductive system, largely because it is often diagnosed at later stages. Symptoms can be subtle and easily mistaken for other conditions, which delays diagnosis. Dr. Karen Lu, Chair of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine stated, “Women often attribute bloating, abdominal discomfort, or changes in appetite to something they ate, stress, or aging. The challenge is that these symptoms can signal ovarian cancer, but by the time they are persistent, the disease is often already advanced.”
Common signs include:
• Persistent bloating
• Pelvic or abdominal pain
• Changes in appetite or feeling full quickly
• Increased urinary urgency or frequency
• Back pain
Physicians caution that many patients dismiss these symptoms as normal discomforts of daily life, but recognizing patterns and persistence can make a difference.
There are several types of ovarian cancers. These types are broken out by the types of cells they originated from, how they appear to researchers when being studied, and how they behave. Ovarian cancer starts from three common cell types: epithelial cells, germ cells, and sex cord stroma cells. CMedEd has a detailed explanation of each type as well as comprehensive information on ovarian cancer that can be found here.
Treatment often involves surgery and chemotherapy, though researchers are advancing targeted therapies to improve outcomes and survival rates.
Several factors can increase a woman’s likelihood of developing ovarian cancer:
• Age: Risk increases with age, especially after menopause.
• Inherited genetic changes: Mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2, and other genes (such as those linked to Lynch syndrome, BRIP1, RAD51C, and RAD51D) raise risk.
• Family history: A strong family history of ovarian cancer can increase susceptibility.
• Obesity: Being overweight or obese is a known risk factor.
• Hormone replacement therapy: Postmenopausal HRT may elevate risk.
• Endometriosis: This condition, where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, is linked to higher risk.
• Reproductive history: Early menstruation, late menopause, or never having been pregnant can all increase risk.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 20,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2025, and nearly 12,000 will die from the disease. While these statistics have remained fairly steady, advances in treatment are giving patients more hope and improved survival.
There’s no guaranteed way to prevent ovarian cancer, but steps may help lower risk:
• Oral contraceptives: Long-term use has been linked to reduced risk, though these medications carry other health considerations.
• Know your family history: Women with a strong family history may benefit from genetic counseling and, in some cases, genetic testing.
• Risk-reducing surgery: For women with high-risk gene mutations, removal of the ovaries may be an option.
As research advances, doctors remain hopeful about improving early detection and tailoring treatments to individual patients. For now, awareness is a vital tool: knowing the symptoms, understanding personal risk factors, and talking to your doctor can all help protect your health.
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