Ovarian cancer
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Ovarian cancer: Condition overview
One in 60 American women will get ovarian cancer in their lifetime

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, you're not alone. Consumer Reports Health is here to help with the best research about ovarian cancer, and expert evidence and advice about treatments.

Key points about ovarian cancer
  • About 1 in 60 women in the United States get ovarian cancer in their lifetime.
  • There's no good screening test to find this cancer before it causes symptoms.
  • Even if you have symptoms, the only way your doctor can tell for sure that you have this cancer is by doing an operation to look at your ovaries.
  • Treatment helps you live longer and eases your symptoms. Sometimes it can cure your cancer, especially if it's caught early.
Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer in women in the United States. Doctors don't know what causes ovarian cancer, but some factors that may stimulate the cancer include hormones, ovulation, and possibly certain chemicals in the environment. Some of the risk factors for ovarian cancer are having it run in your family, getting older, and having few or no children.

Finding out that you or someone close to you has ovarian cancer can be a big shock, but depending upon the stage of your cancer, surgery and drug treatments can lead to a cure. We encourage you to read our entire condition report and to consult with your doctor to learn more about ovarian cancer. As a Consumer Reports Health subscriber, you’ll have access to our expert research and recommendations, and you’ll be more confident and knowledgeable about which treatments are best for you.