Ovarian cancer: not the silent killer.

• Jurisdiction: Australia
• Date: 01 August 2013
• Author: Budden, Lea M.

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The incidence of ovarian cancer is increasing in Australian women.

This disease has increased in Australia by 47% from 833 women diagnosed in 1982 to 1,226 in 2006 (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2010). It is now known that many factors cause carcinogenesis such as radiation, chemicals, hormones, viruses and inherited cell mutations. The risk factors for developing this cancer risk are advancing age (>50 years), family history, inherited genes (BRAC1 and BRAC2), being of North European or Ashkenazi Jewish descent, childlessness, infertility, using oestrogen only hormones, having a first child over 30 years, never taking the contraceptive pill and early onset of menstrual periods (Cancer Council Australia 2013). Women who are at a higher risk for developing ovarian cancer may elect to undertake risk reducing gynaecology surgery (National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre 2011).

There are four classification stages for ovarian cancer...