There are factors which may reduce your risk of developing ovarian cancer in the future. While these factors may lower your risk, they won’t prevent you from developing ovarian cancer. It’s important to continue to look out for the symptoms of ovarian cancer.
You may want to speak to a healthcare professional before making any changes.
The contraceptive pill
The combined contraceptive pill is known to almost halve the risk of ovarian cancer if taken for ten years or more. The reduced risk remains even if you stop taking the pill. However, you and your GP should weigh up the benefits with other possible health risks of taking the combined contraceptive pill.
Cancer Research UK have more information about the contraceptive pill and cancer risk.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Pregnancy and breastfeeding reduce your chance of developing ovarian cancer. This is because when you’re pregnant or breastfeeding you are not ovulating. Ovulation is when your ovaries release eggs. Before menopause and if you are not pregnant, ovulation happens each month.
It’s thought that more ovulation cycles raise the risk of ovarian cancer, and fewer ovulation cycles reduce the risk. If you have multiple pregnancies and breastfeed, you won’t ovulate as much during your lifetime as someone with few or no pregnancies. This is because during pregnancy you don’t ovulate and breastfeeding delays the start of ovulation after pregnancy. In combination, this can reduce your overall risk of developing ovarian cancer.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding reduce the chance of developing ovarian cancer but they don’t guarantee that you won’t develop ovarian cancer.
Hysterectomy and/or having your tubes tied
Some women choose to have their fallopian tubes tied because they don't want any more children. This is called sterilisation or tubal ligation. It's known to reduce ovarian cancer risk.
A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the womb (uterus). Some choose to have a hysterectomy because of uterine fibroids, endometriosis, heavy periods or long-term pelvic pain. There are different types of hysterectomies such as:
- Partial or subtotal hysterectomy: surgery to remove the womb only
- Total hysterectomy: surgery to remove the womb and cervix
- Total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy: surgery to remove the womb, cervix, fallopian tubes (salpingectomy) and ovaries (oophorectomy)
Research is ongoing to find out how having a hysterectomy impacts your risk of developing ovarian cancer. If you are considering having a hysterectomy speak to your doctor to weigh up the benefits and risks.
It is still possible to get ovarian cancer even if you’ve had a hysterectomy, so you should be aware of the symptoms of ovarian cancer. Call our specialist nurses on 0808 802 6000 if you have any questions about hysterectomies and ovarian cancer risk.
Common questions
Below are answers to common questions you may have about ovarian cancer risk and prevention.
- Do ovarian cysts increase the risk of ovarian cancer?
Ovarian cysts are very common and can affect women of any age. They are often linked to ovulation so ovarian cysts tend to be more common in premenopausal women. This is because ovulation stops after menopause.
Often, an ovarian cyst develops and disappears without you knowing that you had one. Ovarian cysts are not known to increase the risk of ovarian cancer. However, because age increases your risk of developing ovarian cancer, current guidelines from the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology recommend that post-menopausal women with a cyst larger than 1cm should be monitored with a CA125 blood test and an ultrasound.
- Does polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) increase the risk of ovarian cancer?
PCOS affects millions of women worldwide. But at this stage there is no strong evidence to suggest that having PCOS increases the risk of developing ovarian cancer. The NHS has more information about PCOS.
- Can any specific diet reduce my risk of ovarian cancer?
A good diet and regular exercise can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer slightly, because obesity can slightly increase the risk of ovarian cancer. Research to try to understand if there's any link between different types of diet and ovarian cancer continues but has so far been inconclusive.
The World Cancer Research Fund study the links between diet, weight, physical activity and cancer. They have cancer prevention recommendations that include eating wholegrains, vegetables and fruits and limiting fast foods and processed meats.
Cancer Research UK also have more information on diet and cancer risk that covers what a healthy diet is, what foods are linked to cancer risk and common myths about diet and cancer.
- Is there a link between irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and ovarian cancer?
Symptoms of IBS are very similar to ovarian cancer and include tummy pain, bloating, diarrhoea or constipation. However, there is no known link between IBS and ovarian cancer.
Since IBS and ovarian cancer have similar symptoms, some women with ovarian cancer are misdiagnosed with IBS. It's important to note that you very rarely get IBS for the first time if you are over the age of 50. If you are over 50 years old and have these symptoms you should be given tests to check for ovarian cancer. These tests include a CA125 blood test and an ultrasound.
- Will having IVF increase my risk of having ovarian cancer?
Some studies have found a small increase in ovarian cancer risk with undergoing IVF treatment. However, this small increase in risk may not be due to the IVF treatment directly. Instead it is thought to be due to the underlying causes and other factors linked to infertility. Research is still ongoing to understand whether having IVF impacts your risk of ovarian cancer.
Last reviewed: May 2025
Next review: May 2028
To learn more about our review process, take a look at our information standards.
