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deCODEme DNA test now includes Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer in women. Based on ovarian cancer statistics in the U.S., it is expected that 1.4% of women born today will be diagnosed with cancer of the ovary at some point during their lifetime. This represents the lifetime risk of ovarian cancer and means that 1 out of every 71 women will be diagnosed with this disease during their lifetime. deCODEme Complete Scan now includes risk calculation for Ovarian Cancer.

Genetics is a major risk factor for ovarian cancer

Although many environmental and lifestyle factors affect the risk of ovarian cancer, the single greatest known risk factor is a family history of the disease. This indicates that genetics is a major risk factor. Scientists already know that variants in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes significantly increase a woman’s chances of developing ovarian cancer. However, these variants are rare and account for less than 5% of all ovarian cancers. Recently, scientists have discovered a common variant on chromosome 9 that can increase a woman’s risk of developing the most common type of ovarian cancer (epithelial cancer). This variant is found in approximately 70% of women of European descent.