Title:Towards Prevention of Ovarian Cancer
Volume: 18
Issue: 6
Author(s): Aus Tariq Ali*
Affiliation:
- Department of Pathology, Tygerberg Hospital and Stellenbosch Medical School, Cape-Town,south africa
Keywords:
Aspirin, breastfeeding, contraceptives, ovarian cancer, parity, physical activity, prophylactic surgery.
Abstract: Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death of all gynaecological cancers. To date, there
is no reliable, specific screening procedure for detecting ovarian cancer. The risk factors of ovarian
cancer include modifiable and non-modifiable factors. The main goal of the ovarian cancer prevention
program is to significantly reduce the risk of development of ovarian cancer and other cancers
such as breast and/or peritoneal cancer. The application of non-surgical preventive approaches such
as oral contraceptives, parity and breastfeeding has been shown to be highly protective against ovarian
cancer development. Targeting inflammation has been also reported to be associated with a protective
trend against ovarian cancer and can be achieved through either non-steroidal antiinflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin or lifestyle modifications or both. Lifestyle modification
that includes regular exercise, healthy diet supplemented with anti-oxidants and antiinflammatory
elements reduces the risk of the disease even further. Surgical protective approaches
include; tubal ligation, hysterectomy and prophylactic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and the former
is the most effective approach to protect against ovarian cancer. A better understanding of the
risk factors of ovarian cancer and the current approaches to prevent it may increase the awareness
and help decrease the incidence of ovarian cancer, increase the five-year survival rate and decrease
the mortality rate significantly in the general population especially among those at high risk for
ovarian cancer. This review is an attempt to outline a potential program of ovarian cancer prevention
and the potential challenges.
