You told us that you don’t have any children, or that you first gave birth after
age
35. Women who never carried a pregnancy to term or had their first child after
35
have a slightly higher risk for ovarian cancer.

You told us that you have had one or more children. Having children lowers your risk
for ovarian cancer.

According to the height and weight you entered, your body mass index (BMI) is . A BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. This puts you
at a higher risk for ovarian cancer. It’s important to try to get to and stay
at a
healthy weight. You can do this by eating well and exercising regularly. Staying
at
a healthy weight can lower your risk for ovarian cancer. It also cuts your risk
for
many other kinds of cancer and health problems such as heart disease, diabetes,
and
high blood pressure.

According to the height and weight you entered, your body mass index (BMI) is . This BMI means you are overweight. Being overweight
doesn’t raise your risk for ovarian cancer. But it can raise your risk for heart
disease, diabetes, and many other health problems. It’s important to try to get
to
and stay at a healthier weight. You can do this by eating well and exercising
regularly. If your BMI reaches 30 or more, you will be at a higher risk for ovarian
cancer and many other kinds of cancer, too.

Congratulations! According to the height and weight you entered, your body mass index
(BMI) is . By staying at a healthy weight, you have
taken action to lower your risk for ovarian cancer. A healthy weight also means
you
are at lower risk for many other diseases and illnesses. Try to stay at a healthy
weight by eating well and exercising regularly.

Because you have used hormone therapy to ease symptoms of menopause, you are at
increased risk for ovarian cancer. This is, especially true if you have used it
for
a long time. Studies have shown that using estrogen-only treatment might raises
your
risk for ovarian cancer more than using combined hormone therapy (both estrogen
and
progesterone). Risk goes down over time after you stop hormone therapy. Talk with
your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of using hormones.

Good news! You’re not at increased risk for ovarian cancer because of hormone therapy.
Studies have shown that using hormone therapy for a long time can raise your risk
for ovarian cancer. If you are thinking about using hormones for symptoms of
menopause, talk with your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks. Also
talk with your provider about other treatments that can help.

Because you have had a hysterectomy or bilateral tubal ligation, you might have lowered
your risk for ovarian cancer. Studies have shown that having these surgeries can
help lower your risk for ovarian cancer.

According to your answers, you have not had a hysterectomy or bilateral tubal ligation.
These surgeries may help lower your risk for ovarian cancer, but medical experts
agree that they should only be done for valid medical reasons. They should not
be
done only to reduce your risk for ovarian cancer.

You use or have used birth control pills. Using birth control pills at some point
in your
life lowers your risk for ovarian cancer. The longer you take the pill, the lower
your risk becomes. This lowering of risk goes on long after you stop taking the
pill.

Birth control pills also may raise your risk for blood clots, breast cancer, and
other
cancers. These risks seem to go back to normal after you stop taking the pill.
Talk
with your healthcare provider about the risk and benefits of birth control pills.

You have never used birth control pills. Using birth control pills can lower your
risk
for ovarian cancer. But its may also raise your risk for blood clots, breast cancer,
and other cancers. If you think you are at a high risk for ovarian cancer, you
may
want to talk to your healthcare provider about the risk and benefits of birth
control pills.

You have a family history of ovarian cancer. This puts you at higher risk for it
too.
The more relatives you have with ovarian cancer, the higher your risk. You may
want
to talk with your healthcare provider about genetic testing. Testing can tell
you if
you have an inherited gene mutation that raises your risk.

You have a personal history of breast cancer. Having been diagnosed with breast cancer
in the past raises your risk for ovarian cancer. You may want to discuss your risk
for ovarian cancer with your healthcare provider.

You have told us that you have one of the inherited risk factors for ovarian cancer.
That is a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation or HNPCC. These inherited factors greatly increase
your risk for ovarian cancer. They put you at a high-risk level. Some women with
a
BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation or HNPCC may choose to have surgery to remove the ovaries
and fallopian tubes. This surgery is done when they have decided not to have any
more children. This surgery greatly lowers the risk for ovarian cancer. Talk with
your provider about how these mutations affect your cancer risk and what you can
do
to help reduce your risk.

You have told us that you don’t have or don’t know if you have any inherited risk
factors for ovarian cancer. Genetic risk factors are BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations
and
HNPCC. These factors can greatly increase your risk for ovarian cancer. If you
have
close family relatives who have had breast, ovarian, or colorectal cancer, you
may
want to talk with your provider about genetic testing. Testing can tell you if
you
have these or other genetic risk factors for cancer.

About risk factors

Most women with ovarian cancer don’t have any known risk factors. Still, it’s important
to know about risk factors. All women are at risk of developing ovarian cancer,
but
the risk is generally low. Family history of ovarian cancer and gene mutations
are
major factors that raise the risk for ovarian cancer. If this assessment shows
that
you have higher risk of developing ovarian cancer, you should discuss this with
your
healthcare provider. The risk of developing ovarian cancer goes up with age. It
usually starts after menopause. Most cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed in
older
women, but it can still occur in younger women.

Cancers of the ovaries may not cause symptoms until they are big and have spread.
Even
then, they tend to cause vague symptoms that can be caused by many changes that
are
not cancer. These symptoms include:

• General belly (abdominal) discomfort or pain. This includes gas, indigestion,
  pressure, swelling, bloating, and cramps.
• Nausea, constipation, or frequent urination
• Feeling of fullness even after a light meal
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling tired all the time
• Pain with sex
• Discharge or abnormal bleeding from the vagina

If you have these symptoms—especially if they last more than a few weeks—see a
healthcare provider for a complete evaluation.

If your risk for ovarian cancer is high, your provider may suggest having checkups
more
often. That way, if cancer develops, it can be found and treated as early as
possible, when it’s small and before it has spread. Some exams and tests that
your
healthcare provider might do are:

• Pelvic exam. This is done to look at the uterus, ovaries,
  bladder, and rectum. The healthcare provider looks for any problems in their
  shape or size. (A Pap test is used to find cancer of the cervix. It’s often
  done along with the pelvic exam, but it doesn’t help find or diagnose ovarian
  cancer.)
• Transvaginal ultrasound. This test uses sound waves to create a
  picture of the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. It can be used to look for
  ovarian tumors. It can also be done tofigure out whether a growth may be cancer
  or a fluid-filled cyst.
• CA-125. Blood tests for ovarian cancer may include measuring the
  amount of CA-125. This is a protein that may be higher in women with ovarian
  cancer. This test is not always accurate because other diseases can raise the
  blood levels of CA-125. This makes a false positive. And some ovarian cancers
  don’t make a lot of CA-125. This makes a false negative.
• Genetic testing. If you have close family members who have had
  breast or ovarian cancer, your provider may talk with you about genetic
  counseling and testing. This will tell you if you have a mutation in the BRCA1
  or BRCA2 gene, or if you have HNPCC. These genetic conditions have been linked
  to increased risk for ovarian, breast, colorectal, and some other kinds of
  cancer.