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10 Common Risk Factors for Ovarian Cancer

By: Emily Lockhart on Wednesday, November 11th

September is just around the corner which is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. According to some pretty scary statistics from the American Cancer Society, this cancer ranks at number eight, making it one of the most prevalent cancers in the U.S., and is the fifth most common cancer affecting U.S. women. Medical News Today claims that one in roughly 70 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer during her lifespan. And unlike breast cancer, approximately 85-percent of the females diagnosed receive a late-stage prognosis.

Here are 10 common risk factors for ovarian cancer…

1. Smoking

According to findings from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), smoking tobacco smoking is considered a culprit for 3-percent of ovarian cancer cases. Supporting this link between tobacco smoking and the development of ovarian cancer, Cancer Research U.K. offers the following statistics…

Current women smokers are 31- to 49-percent more likely to develop ovarian mucinous cancer compared to women who have never smoked in the past. Also, the length of smoking also matters a great deal.

Quit Smoking / Drinking

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