What should you know about the causes of ovarian cancer?

Ovarian cancer is not one uniform disease: its cell type and site of origin can differ. Age, family history, inherited changes such as BRCA-related variants, and aspects of reproductive history may influence risk. Some cancers labelled ovarian begin in the fallopian tube or nearby lining. These associations do not predict that an individual will develop cancer, and having no known risk factor does not exclude it.

Bloating, pelvic or abdominal discomfort, early fullness, and changes in bowel or bladder habits can occur for many reasons. Persistent or progressive symptoms deserve assessment, especially when they are new for you.

Share your family history of ovarian, breast, bowel, or related cancers, including the ages and sides of the family involved. A clinician may discuss BRCA genetic testing or another inherited-risk assessment. Pelvic examination and pelvic ultrasound may help investigate a mass, but ultrasound alone cannot determine whether a finding is cancer.

If cancer is suspected or diagnosed, further imaging, tissue assessment, and genomic tumour profiling may help clarify the disease. Treatment can involve surgery, chemotherapy, or other approaches. Oophorectomy and ovarian debulking surgery have different purposes, so ask what each proposed procedure is intended to achieve. Palliative care can support symptoms and quality of life at any stage.

Book a medical review for persistent bloating, pelvic pain, abdominal swelling, reduced appetite, early fullness, or urinary or bowel changes. Seek urgent help for severe sudden pelvic pain, fainting, heavy bleeding, repeated vomiting, or a rigid or very swollen abdomen.

Could my family history suggest inherited risk? What will the pelvic ultrasound show, and what test would confirm a diagnosis? Would genetic or tumour profiling change treatment? If surgery is advised, is the aim diagnosis, removal, or debulking?