The exact cause of ovarian cancer is unknown. The Mayo Clinic explains that this cancer used to be known as a "silent killer," because patients usually did not recognize the symptoms until it had spread to other areas of their bodies. Now symptoms may be recognizable in early stages, leading to earlier detection that increases survival rates. Some risk factors---age, for example---a woman cannot control, but risks from other factors, such as obesity, can be minimized.
Age
As a woman ages, her risk of developing ovarian cancer increases. This cancer is rare in women under the age of 40. Most cases develop after menopause. The American Cancer Society states that half of all cases occur in women over the age of 63.
Reproduction
Bearing children reduces the risk of developing ovarian cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic. Women with at least one child have a lower risk of ovarian cancer compared to women without children. The more children a women has, the lower her risk, and breast-feeding decreases the risk further, the American Cancer Society explains.
Inherited Gene Mutations
A gene mutation is a change in a gene that increase a person's chance of developing a disease. Mutations linked to ovarian cancer are most commonly those of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. The American Cancer Society explains that researchers initially linked these gene mutations to breast cancer, but they are related to ovarian cancer as well. Between 35 and 70 of 100 women with ovarian cancer have a BRCA1 gene mutation, according to the American Cancer Society. In women with the BRCA2 gene mutation, the risk of developing peritoneal and fallopian tube cancer by the age of 70 is between 10 and 30 percent explains the American Cancer Society. Both BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are 10 times greater in those of Ashkenazi Jewish descent compared to women in the general U.S. population.
Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome
Peutz-Jeghers syndrome is a rare genetic condition characterized by the growth of polyps during a person's teen years, the American Cancer Society explains. These polyps grow in the intestine and stomach, and women with this syndrome face a greater risk of developing ovarian cancer.
Obesity
Obese women---those with a body mass index of 30 or more---seem to face a greater risk of developing ovarian cancer. The American Cancer Society explains that obese women also have a higher death rate from the disease; in the heaviest women, the risk of death from ovarian cancer increases by 50 percent.
