The factor that increases the chances of getting a disease is called as a risk factor. Though having those risk factors doesn’t necessarily mean, you will contract the disease. Ovaries are present in the feamle reproductive system.There are different types of ovarian cancer risk factors. Inherited gene mutation is one of the ovarian cancer risk factors. Breast cancer gene 1(BRAC1) and breast cancer gene 2(BRAC2) increase the chances of ovarian cancer. Since these genes are linked with both breast cancer and ovarian cancer, women affected by breast cancer have greater risk of contracting ovarian cancer.

Increasing age also increases risk of ovary cancer. Ovarian cancer affects women mostly after menopause. Also, women who began menstruating earlier are at greater risk to be affected by ovarian cancer. There is a direct relationship between ovarian cancer and obesity. Women who are obese have higher risks of developing ovarian cancer. Family history is one of the main ovarian cancer risk factors .It means women whose first degree relatives suffer from ovarian cancer are more susceptible to ovarian cancer.Women that are infertile and cannot carry a pregnancy are more prone to this cancer. Fertility drug like clomiphene citrate causes an increase in the risk of formation of ovarian tumor.

Applying talcum powder directly in the genital areas or on sanitary napkins causes cancer of the ovaries. Talcum powder was also found to be contaminated by a cancer causing mineral namely asbestos. Other ovarian cancer risk factors include hormonal therapy. Intake of hormone like estrogen increases the risk of getting affected by the ovary cancer. Smoking, generally do not act as a risk factor but it increases risk for the mucinous type. Reproductive factors like such as use of contraceptives, pregnancy, breast-feeding reduces the risk of ovarian cancer. While no studies have been able to find the correlation between fat intake and risk of being affected by ovarian cancer, dietary fats had been under scrutiny for sometime.

When cell lining the womb gets deposited in other areas of the body, the condition is known as endometriosis. The bladder, bowel and the ovaries are affected by endometriosis. Endometriosis also acts as one of the important ovarian cancer risk factors. During the process of ovulation, the surface of the ovary breaks to make the passage for the egg. Normal process like cell division helps to repair this breakage. The increase in number of eggs results in increase of breakages which has to be repaired. This causes malfunctioning of cell division process and malignant growths. The increase in release of eggs results in ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer can be caused by increased level of male hormone androgen in polycystic ovary syndrome. Hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC) is found in younger women. Inherited genes cause this condition. Women with higher HNPCC are at greater risk of ovarian cancer, colon cancer and endomteric cancer. Mostly, the risk factors of ovary cancer are very difficult to be controlled. These risk factors help the women realise that they can be affected by the ovary cancer. Realisation of being affected by ovarian cancer at early stage increases the chances of survival.