Causes

The cause of ovarian cancer is not yet understood. Several theories have been proposed to explain how the disease occurs:

• Repeated uninterrupted ovulation causes cellular changes in the ovaries, which cause cancer.

or

• Genetic predisposition (BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutations) occurs in three percent of women with a positive family history. Affects women in their mid-forties with up to a 50 percent risk of developing ovarian cancer.

or

• Increased levels of pituitary hormones, not cellular changes, are responsible for the cancer.

or

• Alterations in blood flow to the ovaries may play a role in cancer development.

More on Ovarian Cancer

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This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.