Doctor suggests lifestyle changes that could save you from ovarian cancer risk

Ovarian cancer often goes undetected. Here’s what you can do to lower your risk today!

Ovarian cancer develops in the small female reproductive organ - ovaries, which are responsible for producing eggs hence, can significantly impact a woman’s fertility in various ways. This disease can spread throughout the abdomen without causing any symptoms but women should not get bogged down as they have successful chances to reverse the risk of developing ovarian cancer.

Eating veggies and fruits can help lower risk of ovarian cancer.

The lifestyle Intervention for Ovarian Cancer Enhanced Survival (LIVES) study from USA across 49 states in 2024, in relation to diet and physical activity, reported that daily vegetable and fruit intake averaging 6.6 servings/day helps decrease the risk of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer experts say you can change your fate and these diet tweaks may be life-saving

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Harshit Shah, Associate Surgical Oncologist at Fortis Hospital in Kalyan, explained, “It is generally recognised that whole grains, fruits and vegetables are beneficial due to their high fiber content, their balanced ratio of fatty acids to saturated fats and the substantial amounts of antioxidants present.”

 

Ovarian cancer is more lethal than other types of gynaecological cancers.(Nora Tam/imago images/ZUMA Wire )

In a 2014 analysis from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), higher diet quality, a pattern of higher fruit, vegetable and fiber intake and lower fat and alcohol consumption was associated with a 37 per cent lower all-cause mortality among 600 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. These findings were corroborated by epidemiological analyses from Australia wherein higher diet quality after Ovarian Cancer was associated with a 39 per cent higher survival.

Healthier life could help outsmart ovarian cancer

Dr Harshit Shah suggested, “Healthy dietary patterns are commonly associated with healthy lifestyles, such as supplementary physical activity and higher education levels and lower odds of being a smoker. This may be important because increased physical activity is linked to an overall reduction in the risk of many types of cancer. Similarly, physical activity has been reported to produce a small preventative effect.”

Dietary consumption of omega-3 fatty acids can lead to the formation of cancer-fighting substances in the body, which may have some beneficial effects.(Shutterstock)

 

A risk reduction of 24 per cent was reported by meta-analysis of 35 case-control and five cohort studies indicating that the longer duration of breastfeeding lowers the odds of developing ovarian cancer in later life. Dr Harshit Shah concluded, “The symptoms of ovarian cancer are vague like abdominal discomfort, bloating sensation and abdominal fullness. These symptoms are easily missed and hence the patients present at advanced stages. Improvement in lifestyle habits is the key to prevent the risk of ovarian and other cancers.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.