ShareThisNew cases annually: 21,650Deaths annually: 15,520Screening tests: There is no broad screening test for ovarian cancer. A CA-125 blood test can detect elevated protein levels associated with ovarian cancer, but also has a high false positive test. Those who test positive for the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation (also associated with breast cancer) have a 23 percent chance of having ovarian cancer by age 30, or a 63 percent chance by age 70.Five-year survival rate: 93 percent if caught before cancer spreads beyond ovaries; 30 percent if caught in advanced stages.Ovarian cancer and the pill: Some studies suggest that taking oral contraceptives can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. A story published in January in the Lancet estimates that in the past 50 years, birth control pills have prevented 200,000 cases of ovarian cancer.Ovarian cancer and estrogen replacement therapy: National Cancer Institute research suggests that women who take estrogen replacement therapy after menopause are at greater risk of getting ovarian cancer.Sources: National Cancer Institute; Johns Hopkins(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
Ovarian cancer at a glance
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Who's got your number?
In one of the fastest-growing forms of identity theft, crooks are stealing tax refunds by swiping personal information and using it to trick the Internal Revenue Service.
