Ovarian Cancer Risk
For women with an average risk
Most women have an average risk of ovarian cancer. About 1 out of 100 women will get ovarian cancer sometime during their lives.
[Chart based on National Cancer Institute (2013). Ovarian Cancer Prevention PDQ-Health Professional Version. http://nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/ovarian/healthprofessional.]
For women who have one relative with ovarian cancer
If one woman in your family-such as a mother, a sister, or a daughter-has had ovarian cancer, your risk of getting it is a littler higher than for women who don't have a family history of the disease. About 5 out of 100 women with one relative who has had ovarian cancer will get this cancer sometime during their lives.
[Chart based on National Cancer Institute (2013). Ovarian Cancer Prevention PDQ-Health Professional Version. http://nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/ovarian/healthprofessional.]
For women who have two or three relatives with ovarian cancer
If two or more women in your family have had ovarian cancer, your risk of getting it goes up. About 7 out of 100 women with two or more relatives who have had ovarian cancer will get this cancer sometime during their lives.
[Chart based on National Cancer Institute (2013). Ovarian Cancer Prevention PDQ-Health Professional Version. http://nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/ovarian/healthprofessional.]
For women who have BRCA1 gene changes
Some women have BRCA1 gene changes. Their risk of getting ovarian cancer is much higher than average. For these women, about 39 out of 100 women will get ovarian cancer by age 70.
[Chart based on National Cancer Institute (2016). BRCA1 and BRCA2: Cancer risk and genetic testing. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/genetics/brca-fact-sheet. Accessed April 6, 2016.]
For women who have BRCA2 gene changes
Some women have BRCA2 gene changes. Their risk of getting ovarian cancer is also higher than average. For these women, about 11 to 17 out of 100 women will get ovarian cancer by age 70.
[Chart based on National Cancer Institute (2016). BRCA1 and BRCA2: Cancer risk and genetic testing. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/genetics/brca-fact-sheet. Accessed April 6, 2016.]
Current as of: May 3, 2017
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine & Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & Wendy Y. Chen, MD, MPH, MD, MPH - Medical Oncology, Hematology