One way of preventing any disease is understanding the risk and mitigating it. This requires awareness and knowledge sharing. While there are many awareness campaigns for high-risk cancers like breast or lung cancer, there is little awareness of ovarian cancer in the public domain. Therefore, women need to be made aware of the risk factors. A few prevention methods for ovarian cancer are discussed below.

1. Birth control pills
Oral contraceptives are linked with reducing ovarian cancer incidence by about 50 percent. Women who use oral contraceptive pills for a long time face a lower risk of ovarian cancer. Oral contraceptives do not suit everyone, so one should consult a physician before taking them and seeing what works best.

2. Childbirth
Having one child reduces the risk of ovarian cancer by 20 percent and cell tumors by 40 percent. Studies also show that the chances of being affected by ovarian cancer are greatly reduced if a woman has a child before 30.

3. Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding has been associated with a significant risk of ovarian cancer incidence, even for those in the high-risk category. Studies suggest that breastfeeding may be a potentially modifiable factor to lower the risk of ovarian cancer. The WHO recommended exclusive breastfeeding for a minimum of six months and continued breastfeeding with other foods for two years.

Research is underway to prove that ovulation suppression during breastfeeding inhibits epithelial cell division and proliferation, reducing the opportunity of carcinogen growth. Breastfeeding is also associated with long-term fine-tuning of inflammatory, immune, and metabolic pathways, affecting ovarian cancer risk.

4. Exercise and diet
A good physical exercise activity regime and a healthy diet can reduce ovarian cancer risk. Women should try to perform cardio exercises for at least 30 minutes a day. As per research, those who exercised for 30 minutes a day had a 20 percent decrease in cancer risk.

Along with an exercise regimen, having certain antioxidant-rich foods also cuts down the risk. Foods like beans, eggs, and nuts provide vitamin D to shield the body against carcinogens. Women should consume foods high in vitamin A like carrots, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens. At the same time, foods that contain added sugars and preservatives should be avoided.

5. Avoid carcinogens
Carcinogens are chemicals present in many of our day-to-day products, which can cause cancer. These affect a person, especially if they fall into the high-risk category because of family history or genetic mutation factors. Talcum powders, cosmetics, detergents, and soaps are some of the products. One should, therefore, check the labels of these goods before buying them.

6. Healthy lifestyle
Tobacco and alcohol can increase the risk of ovarian cancer. One should limit alcohol consumption to three or four drinks per week. Following a healthy lifestyle will help reduce the risk of cancer.

Many women who fall under the high-risk category do not know of these methods. One must follow these methods after consulting their gynecologist. These may not prevent the disease but will lower the risks associated with it.