Under 50 Have High Risk For Ovarian Cancer Medical researchers from the University of California-Irvine have determined that women who have survived breast cancer have an elevated risk for ovarian cancer. Their findings will be presented at the 30th Annual Meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists. Consequently, women who survive breast cancer, especially those under the age of 50, should be aware that they are at higher risk for this gynecologic cancer.
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in the United States.
Last year alone, it was estimated that 180,000 new cases of breast cancer would be diagnosed and 43,500 women would die from the disease. Heightened public awareness and increased breast cancer screening has resulted in a significant increase in the number of cases diagnosed at localized stages. These early diagnoses have contributed to improved cure rates, and today more women than ever are surviving this deadly disease. In contrast, ovarian cancer accounts for four percent of all cancers in women. In 1998, it was estimated that new ovarian cancer cases numbered 25,400 and 14,500 women died from this disease.