Skip to main content
Chamberlain University, College of Nursing and Health Professionals
Menu

Main navigation redesign

  • Programs
    • Bachelor's Programs
      • Nursing
        • Bachelor Of Science in Nursing (BSN)
        • Bachelor of Science in Nursing Online
        • RN to BSN Option
      • BSN Campus Locations
        • Phoenix, AZ
        • Irwindale, CA
        • Sacramento, CA
        • Jacksonville, FL
        • Miramar, FL
        • Atlanta, GA
        • Addison, IL
        • Chicago, IL
        • Tinley Park, IL
        • Indianapolis, IN
        • New Orleans, LA
        • Troy, MI
        • St. Louis, MO
        • Las Vegas, NV
        • Charlotte, NC
        • North Brunswick, NJ
        • Cleveland, OH
        • Columbus, OH
        • Houston, TX
        • Irving, TX
        • Pearland, TX
        • San Antonio, TX
        • Tysons Corner, VA
    • Master’s Programs
      • Nursing
        • Master Of Science in Nursing (MSN)
        • Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
        • Family Nurse Practitioner
        • Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
        • Graduate Certificates
        • RN to MSN Options
      • Healthcare Professions
        • Master of Public Health
        • Master of Physician Assistant
        • Master of Social Work
    • Doctorate Programs
      • Nursing
        • Doctor of Nursing Practice
    • Certificates
      • Nursing
        • Nursing Certificates
      • Healthcare Professions
        • Public Health Certificate
  • Admission
    • Resources
      • Academic Calendar
      • Academic Catalog
      • Curriculum Plans
    • Become a Student
      • Military Information
      • Transfer Students
  • Financial Aid
    • Tuition & Financial Aid
      • Tuition and Expenses
      • Types of Financial Assistance
      • Financial Aid Forms
      • Partnerships
    • Scholarships and Grants
      • Scholarships
      • Grants
      • Work Study
      • Loans
      • Educational Healthcare Partners
  • Why Chamberlain
    • Our Story
      • History
      • Our Vision
      • Chamberlain Care
      • Diversity and Inclusion
    • About Chamberlain
      • Leadership and Faculty
      • Campus Locations
      • Newsroom
      • Blog
      • Accreditation
      • Student Consumer Information
      • Alumni

Mobile Secondary Navigation

  • Apply
  • Request More Info
  • Request More Info
  • Call
  • Apply
  • Request Info
  • Request Info

Mobile Utility Navigation

  • Current Students
  • Prospective Students
  • Transfers
  • Military
  • Alumni
  • Partners
  • Employers

Top Utility Navigation

  • Current Students
  • Information For
    • Current Students
    • Prospective Students
    • Transfers
    • Military
    • Alumni
    • Partners
    • Employers
  • Chat
  • 877.751.5783
Chamberlain University, College of Nursing and Health Professionals

Main navigation redesign

  • Programs
    • Bachelor's Programs
      • Nursing
        • Bachelor Of Science in Nursing (BSN)
        • Bachelor of Science in Nursing Online
        • RN to BSN Option
      • BSN Campus Locations
        • Phoenix, AZ
        • Irwindale, CA
        • Sacramento, CA
        • Jacksonville, FL
        • Miramar, FL
        • Atlanta, GA
        • Addison, IL
        • Chicago, IL
        • Tinley Park, IL
        • Indianapolis, IN
        • New Orleans, LA
        • Troy, MI
        • St. Louis, MO
        • Las Vegas, NV
        • Charlotte, NC
        • North Brunswick, NJ
        • Cleveland, OH
        • Columbus, OH
        • Houston, TX
        • Irving, TX
        • Pearland, TX
        • San Antonio, TX
        • Tysons Corner, VA
    • Master’s Programs
      • Nursing
        • Master Of Science in Nursing (MSN)
        • Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner
        • Family Nurse Practitioner
        • Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
        • Graduate Certificates
        • RN to MSN Options
      • Healthcare Professions
        • Master of Public Health
        • Master of Physician Assistant
        • Master of Social Work
    • Doctorate Programs
      • Nursing
        • Doctor of Nursing Practice
    • Certificates
      • Nursing
        • Nursing Certificates
      • Healthcare Professions
        • Public Health Certificate
  • Admission

    Admission

    Our team is with you every step of the way, providing the information you need to make the decisions that best serve you.

    • Resources
      • Academic Calendar
      • Academic Catalog
      • Curriculum Plans
    • Become a Student
      • Military Information
      • Transfer Students
    smiling doctor with a young child
    Find My Program

    Find the path to your healthcare career goal.

  • Financial Aid

    Financial Aid

    Get support as you navigate paying for your education. Request information to connect with our admission team to discuss your financial options.

    • Tuition & Financial Aid
      • Tuition and Expenses
      • Types of Financial Assistance
      • Financial Aid Forms
      • Partnerships
    • Scholarships and Grants
      • Scholarships
      • Grants
      • Work Study
      • Loans
      • Educational Healthcare Partners
    smiling doctor with a young child
    Find My Program

    Find the path to your healthcare career goal.

  • Why Chamberlain

    Why Chamberlain

    Chamberlain University has a 130-year history preparing extraordinary nursing graduates and healthcare professionals. 

    • Our Story
      • History
      • Our Vision
      • Chamberlain Care
      • Diversity and Inclusion
    • About Chamberlain
      • Leadership and Faculty
      • Campus Locations
      • Newsroom
      • Blog
      • Accreditation
      • Student Consumer Information
      • Alumni
    smiling doctor with a young child
    Find My Program

    Find the path to your healthcare career goal.

Secondary Header Navigation

  • Apply
  • Request More Info
  • Request More Info
  • Call
  • Apply
  • Request Info
  • Request Info

Featured

Man in blue sweater sitting
Breaking Barriers in Social Work:…
Social worker standing in bright office with green plants by the windows
Qualities of a Great Social Worker
social worker speaking to a child
10 Reasons to Be Proud You're a…

Tags

Browse articles by category
Alumni
Campus News
Careers
Health Professions
Nursing Today
Tips for Students

Share

Blog Social Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Home / Blog / Care For You / Ovarian Health and Early Cancer Detection

Ovarian Health and Early Cancer Detection

October 14, 2013 by Jennifer Bouchard

Patricia Fedorka, PhD, RNC-OB, C-EFM, CNE, professor in the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program at Chamberlain College of Nursing, is on the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses’ national committee and is an editorial reviewer for its publication Nursing for Women’s Health. Dr. Fedorka provides the following information to educate women about ovarian cancer and increase the likelihood of early detection.

Ovarian cancer is the ninth most common cancer among women (excluding non-melanoma skin cancers). This year alone, about 22,240 American women will be diagnosed with this cancer, and about half (14,230 women) will die from this disease. A woman’s risk of getting ovarian cancer during her lifetime is about 1 in 72. Her lifetime chance of dying from ovarian cancer is about 1 in 100.1

Risk factors for developing ovarian cancer:

  • Age: Ovarian cancer is rare in women younger than 40, and most ovarian cancers develop after menopause. In fact, half of all ovarian cancers are found in women 63 years of age and older.
  • Obesity: Studies show that obese women (those with a body mass index of 30 or greater) have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.
  • Fertility drugs: Some studies have shown that using the fertility drug clomiphene citrate (Clomid) for longer than one year may increase the risk for developing ovarian cancer.
  • Estrogen therapy and hormone therapy: Some studies suggest women using estrogen after menopause have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer.
  • Family history: Ovarian cancer can run in families. Your ovarian cancer risk is increased if your mother, sister or daughter has/had ovarian cancer. Increased risk can also come from your father’s side of your family.2

Factors that may decrease risk of developing ovarian cancer:

  • Reproductive history: Women who were pregnant and carried the pregnancy to term have a lower risk of ovarian cancer than women who have not. The risk decreases with each full-term pregnancy, and breastfeeding may lower the risk even further.
  • Birth control: Women who have used oral contraceptives (also known as birth control pill) for three to six months or longer have a lower risk of ovarian cancer. The risk is lower the longer the pills are used. This lower risk continues for many years after the pill is stopped.
  • Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate: Studies have shown that women who used this injectable hormonal contraceptive (also known as DMPA or Depo-Provera Cl), had a lower risk of ovarian cancer. The risk is even lower if the women had used it for three or more years.
  • Gynecologic surgery: Tubal ligation (having your “tubes tied”) may reduce the chance of developing ovarian cancer by up to two-thirds. A hysterectomy (the removing of the uterus without removing the ovaries) also seems to reduce the risk of getting ovarian cancer by about one-third.3

For early detection, monitor for the following symptoms of ovarian cancer:

  • Abdominal bloating
  • Pelvic or abdominal pain
  • Feeling full quickly
  • Urinary urgency or frequency4 

At present, there are no reliable screening tests for ovarian cancer, and since these symptoms tend to be vague and associated with other, less serious conditions, they are often not reported and/or taken seriously. It is important to know your risk factors for ovarian cancer and advocate for ultrasound and further testing if you suffer with any of the symptoms listed above. 

In order to take extraordinary care of others, we first have to take care of ourselves. Care For You. Find Your Extraordinary. 

1http://www.cancer.org/cancer/ovariancancer/detailedguide/ovarian-cancer-key-statistics   2http://www.cancer.org/cancer/ovariancancer/detailedguide/ovarian-cancer-risk-factors   3http://www.cancer.org/cancer/ovariancancer/detailedguide/ovarian-cancer-risk-factors   4http://www.cancer.org/cancer/ovariancancer/overviewguide/ovarian-cancer-overview-what-causes

By Jennifer Bouchard

More from Care For You

View all >
chamberlain nurses strong
Nurses: 7 Tips for Self Care and Resilience
Read more
relaxation-tips-for-nurses
Top 4 Relaxation Tips for Nurses
Read more
nurse resolution 2019
4 Resolutions Every Nurse Should Make in 2019
Read more
opioid crisis
Healthcare Professionals Determined to Take Down the Opioid…
Read more
Show more >

Request More Information

To receive the Chamberlain University Program Guide, including associated career paths, please select a program of study.

Chamberlain University, College of Nursing and Health Professionals

Secondary Footer Navigation

  • Apply
  • Request More Info
  • Request More Info
  • Call
  • Apply
  • Request Info
  • Request Info

Student Portal Login

Main Campus
Addison Campus
1221 North Swift Road
Addison, IL 60101 

National Management Offices
500 W. Monroe St, Suite 1300
Chicago, IL 60661

All Campus Locations
Contact

Footer Menu Column 1

  • Online Programs
  • Master of Physician Assistant Studies
  • Alumni Association
  • Chamberlain Marketplace
  • Military
  • Leadership
  • Catalog & Viewbook

Footer Menu Column 2

  • Student Portal
  • Student Consumer Info
  • Accreditation
  • Parent Organization
  • CA Performance Fact Sheets
  • CA BPPE Annual Report
  • CA BPPE Website

Footer Menu Column 3

  • Careers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Online Cookie Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Use
  • Accessibility
  • Student Disability Services
  • Office of Equity and Access

Footer Social Media Navigation

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

2022 Chamberlain Universtiy LLC. All rights reserved.

Footer Menu Line 1

  • Online Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Use

*140,000 Chamberlain students, alumni and faculty

† Chamberlain University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (www.hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program at Chamberlain University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, ccneaccreditation.org. The Chamberlain University Doctor of Nursing Practice (delivered via distance education) is accredited by the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA) located at 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037 (202-909-2526). Chamberlain University’s Master of Public Health Program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, www.ceph.org. For the most updated accreditation information, visit chamberlain.edu/accreditation. Chamberlain University’s Master of Social Work degree program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s Commission on Accreditation, www.cswe.org. The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Chamberlain University Physician Assistant Program. 

To report unresolved complaints to the Illinois Board of Higher Education visit their webpage at https://complaints.ibhe.org/ or by mail to 1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333, Springfield, IL 62701-1377. View Chamberlain's complaint process.

Chamberlain University confers online degrees from its Main Campus in Addison, IL.

Chamberlain University is a member of Adtalem Global Education, Inc. www.adtalem.com
©2022 Chamberlain University LLC. All rights reserved.