Protective Factors

The Pill - Taking the�contraceptive pill has been shown to reduce ovarian cancer risk significantly. This is thought to be because your ovaries are not producing any eggs while you are on the pill, or possibly because the hormones in the pill prevent some precancerous genetic changes in the ovary. It is thought that the longer you take the pill, the more your risk is reduced.

Children - having children seems to lower ovarian cancer risk and the more children a woman has the more the risk decreases. A woman who has had three children or more has only half the risk of a woman who has had no children. The later in life a woman has her children, the greater the protection.

Sterilisation reduces the risk of ovarian cancer and hysterectomy may also reduce the risk.

There is some evidence that aspirin may lower ovarian cancer risk but some studies seem to show that it doesn't.  There is similar contradictory evidence for paracetamol use. Further research is needed.