Experts have revealed the likely cause of a surge in ovarian cancer cases among younger women.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 18,518 new cases of Ovarian cancer in 2020 (the last year data was available) and 13,438 women died from the horrific disease in the US.
Cancer is the second leading cause of the death in the US and leads to one of every five deaths.
A collection of scientists looked at data from around the globe and found a "substantial increase in incidence was observed in younger females."
Their findings highlighted the likely cause of this alarming rise identifying four key factors.
The researchers used the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) database to examine "global incidence and mortality rates of ovarian cancer for 185 countries."
The four factors behind the rise are the increasing prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndromes, estrogen exposure and not having children.
Obesity
Obesity is on the rise in the US and this has had a knock on effect on cancer rates.
Over 40 per cent of Americans are obese according to CDC statistics.
It's also on the rise. From 2000 to 202 the obesity prevalence rose from 30.5 per cent to 41.9 per cent.
Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, including ovarian.
The CDC states: "These are among the leading causes of preventable, premature death."
Metabolic syndromes
Metabolic syndrome is the medical term for a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension) and obesity.
According to the MD Anderson Cancer Center: "Metabolic syndrome can put a person at high risk for several cancers and diseases that can lead to cancer.
"In addition, there is some research that suggests that cancer patients with metabolic syndrome have more complications during treatment, increased risk that their cancer will spread and lower chance of survival."
Estrogen exposure
Excess exposure to estrogen raises the risk of cancer. Although some women have naturally high estrogen levels the rise in ovarian cancer has been linked to the increased use of hormone replacement therapies for menopause.
In the past, some men took estrogen to treat prostate cancer but this treatment now because it increases the risk of male breast cancer.
Not having children
The study identified 'nullarity' - which is when women don't have babies - as a potential cause of cancer.
It leads to an increased risk for certain reproductive malignancies, including breast, ovarian and uterine cancers.
According to the CDC there are some things associated with a lower chance of getting ovarian cancer.
These are:
- Having used birth control pills for five or more years.
- Having had a tubal ligation (getting your tubes tied), both ovaries removed, both fallopian tubes removed, or a hysterectomy (an operation in which the uterus, and sometimes the cervix, is removed).
- Having given birth.
- Breastfeeding. Some studies suggest that women who breastfeed for a year or more may have a modestly reduced risk of ovarian cancer.
