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What Reduces The Risk Of Ovarian Cancer?

Anytime that the big cancer "C" enters the discussion, all those participating want to know what it is they can do to prevent the occurrence of the disease. Ovarian cancer in particular is feared for its high kill rate of affected women. While there have been several risk reducing factors identified, not all of them are feasible or can be actually performed by all women.

Thus far, what reduces the risk of ovarian cancer has been identified as follows:

* A large number of pregnancies resulting in births. It has been established that ovarian cancer rates among mothers with multiple children are lower than they are among women with only a single child or no children at all.

* A first pregnancy that occurs at a young age is thought to be somewhat of an insurance against the onset of ovarian cancer, as is a last pregnancy in older years.

* Onset of menstruation after the age of 12 is found to point to a healthy hormonal balance and thus is considered to be an ovarian cancer risk reducer while menstruation that begins prior to age 12 is thought to be a marker for an elevated risk of contracting the disease at a future age.

* Using contraceptive methods that utilize low doses of hormones - as opposed the hormone bombs that are define the effectiveness of several other contraceptives - are found to be somewhat of an inoculating behavior. Yet it is interesting to note that the use of this contraceptive method must be continued on for a decade or longer to offer that protective effect.

* Undergoing a tubal ligation is known to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.

* A family history that includes females with breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and cancers of bodily systems below the waist are at a heightened risk of contracting this disease, although a direct link has yet to be established. It is thus far considered that a predisposition exists which leads to the development of cancer in those individuals whose family history, lifestyle, and other health factors may be placing them at a heightened risk.

* A diet low in fat and high in fiber is thought to be instrumental in lowering the risk for ovarian cancer.

* Vitamin D is considered to be a potential risk reducing agent since it has been discovered that women who are frequently exposed to sunlight show lesser rates of suffering from ovarian cancer than those who lack this sun exposure. Sun exposure, of course, is directly linked to the formation of vitamin D in the bodily systems and therefore considered to now be a cancer repressing agent.

* Alcohol consumption, the ingestion of a high fat diet, lack of dietary fiber, and also the use of nicotine have been considered secondary contributory factors although it is as of yet unknown to which extent lifestyle choices truly factor into the development of ovarian cancer.

Although several of these suggestion may be wise to follow, by far the majority are either beyond the average patient's control or simply not possible to implement for the sake of avoiding ovarian cancer.