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Ovarian cancer prevention

Unfortunately, lifestyle changes cannot protect you from developing ovarian cancer. However, the following recommendations may help you lower your risk:

• Although there is no connection of being obese and ovarian cancer, some studies suggest changing your diet by adding fish and vegetables may be protective. Food high in specific chemicals such as alpha-carotene (found in carrots) and lycopene (found in tomatoes) may help lower your risk.
• If you smoke, quitting is always a good idea. Again, there is no evidence suggesting the relationship of smoking and ovarian cancer, but not smoking helps to prevent you from developing any other diseases.
• Even though exercise has been proven to have positive effects on protecting you from many diseases and even some forms of cancer, it has no effect on ovarian cancer. However, exercise helps to protect you from breast cancer. Moderate exercise such as walking, dancing and jogging is the way to go.

There are other factors that have been proven to protect you from developing ovarian cancer.

Pregnancy. Pregnancy plays a role in protecting women from developing ovarian cancer. The more children a woman has in her lifetime, the lower risk of her developing ovarian cancer. One study has proven that even one pregnancy reduced the chance of ovarian cancer by 40 percent.

Breast-feeding. The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology suggests that breastfeeding reduces the risk of developing ovarian cancer by 30 percent. Also, a study published in Journal Watch Women’s Health, found that breastfeeding for 18 months or longer was associated with decreased risk for ovarian cancer.

Using contraceptive pill. The birth control pill has long proven to protect women from ovarian cancer. The longer a woman takes the pill, the lower the risk of developing ovarian cancer. Studies suggest that routine use of birth control pills that, even low-dose forms, reduce a woman’s risk of ovarian cancer by about 50 percent in comparison too those who have never taken oral contraceptives.

Removal of ovaries (or Oophorectomy). Surgical removal of ovaries plays important part in reducing the risk of ovarian cancer. This is used specifically to prevent ovarian cancer in higher risk women such as women who have had two or more first-degree relative(s) with ovarian or breast cancer.