This year, an estimated 21,010 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which is a type of cancer that involves the abnormal growth of cells in or around the ovaries.

While this isn’t an especially common type of cancer, it is the most deadly gynecologic cancer: an estimated 12,450 women will die from it in 2026. That’s because it’s often not discovered until later stages, after it has spread.

While researchers aren’t sure what causes ovarian cancer, they have identified several risk factors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those include:

  • Age: If you’re middle-aged or older.
  • Family history: If you have close family members, including your mother, sister, aunt or grandmother, on either your paternal or maternal side, who had ovarian cancer.
  • Inherited genetic conditions: If you have a genetic mutation, such as BRCA1, BRCA2 or one associated with Lynch syndrome.
  • Ancestry: If you have an Eastern European or Ashkenazi Jewish background.
  • Health history: If you’ve had breast, uterine or colorectal cancer, and/or if you’ve had endometriosis.
  • Reproductive history: If you’ve never given birth or have had trouble getting pregnant.

In addition, a few factors may lower your risk for this kind of cancer, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center:

  • Pregnancy: The more full-term pregnancies a person has, the lower their risk.
  • Birth control: Oral birth control may lower a person’s risk, and the protection seems to last years after a person has stopped taking the pill.
  • Tubal ligation: People who have had their “tubes tied” (meaning their fallopian tubes) as a birth-control procedure may also have a lower risk. 

While there’s not clear evidence that lifestyle changes can lower your risk for ovarian cancer, the following steps may help reduce your overall cancer risk:

  • Stop smoking. Smoking, secondhand smoke and chewing tobacco have been linked to cancer.
  • Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Aim for lots of fruits and vegetables, along with beans and lentils, and limit highly processed foods and alcohol.
  • Maintain a healthy weight and be physically active. Make a habit of exercising for 30 minutes, five days a week, or 150 minutes weekly.
  • See your doctor regularly. They can look for any changes to your health, keep you up to date on vaccinations, recommend preventive screenings and answer any questions you might have about risk factors and how to feel your best.

Ovarian cancer is sometimes referred to as a “silent killer,” because in the early stages, symptoms can go unnoticed or be attributed to other conditions. Knowing that, it’s important to talk to your doctor if you do experience changes to your health, even if they’re subtle. If you’re experiencing bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, trouble eating or feeling full quickly or feeling the need to urinate more frequently, talk to your health care provider. They may perform tests, such as a pelvic exam, imaging tests and blood tests to help determine the next steps in your care.