Can you get ovarian cancer in your 20s

Germ cell tumors, which typically affect one ovary, are the most common type of ovarian cancer found in teenage girls and young women, as well as young trans men and non-binary people.

Fortunately, germ cell cancers tend to have a good prognosis when treated. According to the National Cancer Institute, between and , the percentage of new cases of ovarian cancer was 1.

For women, trans men and non-binary people aged , the percentage of new cases of ovarian cancer between and was 6. Women who have their first full-term pregnancy after 35 or who never carried a pregnancy to term are at greater risk of developing ovarian cancer. Over two-thirds of those diagnosed with ovarian cancer are 55 or older, and nearly half of all cases are women 65 years of age or older, with 63 being the median age at diagnosis.

Menopause usually starts around age 50, but those who start menopause after age 55 may be at increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. Between and , the highest percentage of new ovarian cancer cases was in people ages , at Consequently, older women are more likely to present with advanced disease and are less likely to be offered radical surgery and chemotherapy.

There is no known way to prevent ovarian cancer, but certain medical choices may lower your chances of developing it. Emily Pickthall just completed her sixth and final round chemotherapy.

Emily had to put everything on hold when tests and subsequent surgery revealed a softball sized growth. Emily Pickthall credit: CBS. As part of an aggressive treatment, Emily received a full hysterectomy and chemotherapy.

On Thursday, she received her sixth and final round of chemotherapy. This is the gene mutation that famously led actress Angelina Jolie to take extreme measures to protect herself from getting the cancer. One reason it goes undetected is that there's room in the abdomen and pelvis for organs to shift as the cancer grows, says Dr.

Once symptoms do present, patients may experience abdominal pain or discomfort as Smulders described , as well as bloating, constipation, and early satiety or a "full" feeling after eating a small amount of food , Dr. Nagarsheth says. Do not be afraid to get your symptoms checked. Smulders now has a clean bill of health, after enduring multiple surgeries, and trying a long list of lifestyle changes and alternative therapies.

To ask questions. To learn as much as you can about your diagnosis. To breathe. To ask for help.