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Holding Hands

Contrary to popular belief, anybody born with an ovary is at risk of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, regardless of age.

Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors

  • Hysterectomy lowers but does not eliminate the risk of ovarian cancer

  • Ovarian cancer risk increases with age, becomming most common post-menopause

  • The incidence of disease is especially high among ashkenazi jewish women

  • Family history of breast, ovarian, or colon cancers increase your risk of OC

  • Family history of BRCA1 or BRAC2 mutation significantly increase your risk of OC

  • Lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is 1 in 72

  • Lifetime risk of breast cancer is 1 in 8

  • Breast and Fallopian tube tissues are similar. Breast cancer survivors have an increased risk of ovarian cancer

  • Use of birth control pills for more than five years appears to lower the risk of ovarian cancer

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Evelyn Lauder's Experience

Survived Breast Cancer - Died Ovarian Cancer

Evelyn Lauder (Estee Lauder Cosmetics), started the pink ribbon campaign and raised 350 million for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation which she founded in 1993. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1989 and survived for over 20 years; then died from non-genetic ovarian cancer in 2011 at age 75. She had financial ability, and access to excellent healthcare. Unfortunately her symptoms did not result in a diagnosis until it was too late to treat successfully.

Mutations in the BRCA gene are associated with breast, ovarian, prostate, and pancreatic cancer. Women with a BRCA1 mutation have up to a 39% chance of developing

ovarian cancer by age 70.

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