Ovarian cancer is a common form of cancer and a leading cause of cancer death among women. The genes we inherit affect our chances of developing ovarian cancer, and a new genomic study identifies 12 genetic variants associated with the risk. Share on Pinterest A large genetic study has identified 12 new variants commonly associated with the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that almost 21,000 women in the United States were diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2013, and more than 14,000 died from the disease. Early detection of ovarian cancer is crucial in improving the patients’ survival rate. If the cancer is diagnosed in the early stages – that is, before it has spread beyond the ovaries – the survival rate is estimated at 92 percent. However, according to the American Cancer Society, only 15 percent of ovarian cancers are diagnosed this early. New research by an international team of scientists from the United Kingdom, the U.S., and Australia identifies 12 genetic variations that raise the likelihood of epithelial ovarian cancer. Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most common type of ovarian cancer. It forms in the epithelium (the tissue) that covers the ovaries. The results of the new genomic study were published in the journal Nature Genetics.

Genes account for a third of EOC risk The new study was conducted as part of the OncoArray Consortium – a large genomic study looking at almost 450,000 samples in an attempt to identify the genetic background for most common cancers. The OncoArray Consortium used a novel genotyping technique that allowed the researchers to identify nearly 500,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which are the most common type of variation found in the human genome. The inherited genetic architecture accounts for a significant portion of a woman’s risk of developing EOC, the authors explain. “We know that a woman’s genetic makeup accounts for about one third of her risk of developing ovarian cancer. This is the inherited component of disease risk. We are less certain of environmental factors that increase our risk, but we do know that several factors reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, including taking the oral contraceptive pill, having your tubes tied, and having children.” Prof. Paul Pharoah, co-lead author Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes make up 40 percent of this risk. These faulty genes are quite rare – occurring in approximately 1 in 300 people – and correlate with a high incidence of ovarian and breast cancer.