Patient profile: Who are at risk the most of ovarian cancer?
Although younger women in their 30-40s do occasionally develop ovarian cancer the average age that women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the United States is 59. An expert on the matter, Dr. Matthew Boente MD notes that the symptoms of ovarian cancer are also shared by several other illnesses (GERD, IBSC, endometriosis) making it harder to make a prompt diagnosis. So persistent symptoms like bloating, heartburn, intermittent diarrhea, constipation, and mild to moderate abdominal ort pelvic discomfort would be the most common symptoms. Image source: go4life.nia.nih.go Image source: cheatsheet.com Another risk factor is genetics. There’s a 10 – 15% chance that women with a family history of ovarian cancer could develop the disease later on in life. This also means that 80 – 85% of ovarian cancers are sporadic and are not inherited or passed on to other relatives. Lastly, some lifestyle choices also affect the chances of getting ovarian cancer. According to Dr. Matt...