Ovarian and Breast Cancer

As women approach and enter their middle years, two types of cancer become a common concern: cancer of the ovaries and breasts. In America, one in 75 women will be affected by ovarian cancer while a whopping one in 12 will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. This increased risk is due to a lifetime of exposure to hormones such as estrogen and the menstrual cycle; basically, your body does what it supposed to do and eventually, a mutation in your cells causes cancer to form. Studies have shown that women who begin menstruating early or don’t have children are more at risk of ovarian cancer because their bodies have ovulated more times. Other factors look at genetics: does cancer run in your family?

A study in the UK found that since the late 1970’s, cases of cancer in women between the ages 40-59 jumped an alarming 26 percent and the reasons are twofold: unhealthy lifestyle and improvements to cancer screening. Yes, science and medicine have become much more efficient at finding ovarian and breast cancer and earlier detection have led to better odds of fighting and surviving cancer. On the downside, known cancer causers such as smoking, excessive drinking and poor diet are shown to be on the rise, both in the UK and America. For women who have a family history of cancer or are taking hormonal estrogen therapy, annual mammograms are suggested as well as watching for symptoms linked to ovarian cancer such as pelvic pain, bloating and an urgent, frequent need to pee.