Fertility drugs and talcum powder have both been implicated as causal agents in ovarian cancer. The ruling on talcum powder is still unclear, as well. In the past, talcum powder was sometimes contaminated with asbestos, a known cancer-causing mineral. However, talcum powder has been asbestos-free for 20 years, as required by law. Further studies are needed to completely rule out talcum powder's role in ovarian cancer.
Most ovarian cancers begin as cysts, or fluid-filled sacs, within the ovary itself.
While most ovarian cancers start out as cysts, the overwhelming number of ovarian cysts are not cancers. In fact, normal ovarian function demands that cysts are present throughout a normal menstrual cycle. But benign cysts are rarely identified in the ovaries of postmenopausal women. Any ovarian cyst found in a postmenopausal woman should be investigated to rule out cancer. Ultrasound can also help distinguish benign from malignant cysts.