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Risk Factors for Ovarian Cancer

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most frequent cancer among women and is the leading cause of gynaecological cancer deaths in North America. Although the etiology of ovarian cancer is not clear, certain factors have been implicated in the etiology of ovarian cancer such as: ovulation, gonadotropic and steroid hormones, germ cell depletion, oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, growth factors, cytokines, and environmental agents. Other factors that may play a role in the etiology of ovarian cancer include: personal or family history of breast, ovarian, endometrial, prostate or colon cancer, hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer or syndrome, increasing age, infertility, no history of birth control pill usage, use of high dose estrogens for extended periods, cigarette smoking, obesity, and exposure to certain environmental agents such as talc, pesticides, and herbicides. Oral contraceptive use has been shown to be protective against ovarian cancer, with ovarian cancer risk decreasing with duration of use.

Epidemiologic studies, animal experiments, and receptor binding studies suggest that malignant ovarian tumors may be endocrine-related and hormone-dependent. These studies have led to the hypothesis that exogenous estrogenic compounds may play a role in the etiology of this cancer. The lack of adequate animal studies and well-designed epidemiological studies limits our ability to describe the association between ovarian cancer and environmental estrogens. Further epidemiological and toxicological research is needed to strengthen the database on which an assessment of risk factors for ovarian cancer can be made.

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