Ovarian cancer risk

Women with an average risk

Chart with 100 figures to represent women, with 1 figure highlighted showing average risk for ovarian cancer.

slide 1 of 3

slide 1 of 3, Women with an average risk,

Chart based on National Cancer Institute (2020). SEER Cancer Statistics Review 1975–2017. http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2017/. Accessed July 31, 2020.

On average, about 1 out of 100 women will get ovarian cancer sometime during their lives. Your risk may be higher or lower depending on different factors. It most often affects women who are past menopause. You may be more likely to get it if others in your family have had it. Also, some women inherit gene changes that increase their chances of getting it.

If you have female pelvic organs but don't identify as female, talk to your doctor about your specific risks.

Women who have BRCA1 gene changes

Chart of 100 figures to represent women, with 44 figures highlighted showing ovarian cancer risk with BRCA1 gene changes.

slide 2 of 3

slide 2 of 3, Women who have BRCA1 gene changes,

Chart based on Kuchenbaecker KB, et al. (2017). Risks of breast, ovarian, and contralateral breast cancer for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. JAMA, 317(23): 2402–2416. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2017.7112. Accessed August 5, 2020.

The risk of ovarian cancer is higher than average for women who have BRCA1 gene changes. About 44 out of 100 of them will get ovarian cancer by age 80.

Women who have BRCA2 gene changes

Chart of 100 figures to represent women, with 17 figures highlighted showing ovarian cancer risk with BRCA2 gene changes.

slide 3 of 3

slide 3 of 3, Women who have BRCA2 gene changes,

Chart based on Kuchenbaecker KB, et al. (2017). Risks of breast, ovarian, and contralateral breast cancer for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. JAMA, 317(23): 2402–2416. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2017.7112. Accessed August 5, 2020.

The risk of ovarian cancer is also higher than average for women who have BRCA2 gene changes. About 17 out of 100 of them will get ovarian cancer by age 80.

Current as of: September 8, 2021

Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Sarah Marshall MD - Family Medicine
Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
Wendy Y. Chen MD, MPH - Medical Oncology, Hematology
Lesley Ryan MD - Family Medicine