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If your mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, or another blood relative has had ovarian cancer, it is natural to wonder what that diagnosis means for you. Family history can be an important clue, but it is not a diagnosis, and it cannot predict your individual risk on its own.
Some ovarian cancers are associated with inherited gene changes. Others are not. Rather than assuming the worst, focus on understanding the pattern in your family and discuss it with a qualified healthcare professional.
This article explains how family history relates to ovarian cancer risk, which patterns may warrant further evaluation, and what hereditary cancer risk testing can and cannot tell you.
Yes, ovarian cancer can run in families. According to the American Cancer Society, about 10% to 15% of ovarian cancers are caused by inherited gene changes. The most recognized are harmful variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2, but variants in other genes associated with Lynch syndrome can also increase risk. Source: American Cancer Society
Having a biological relative with ovarian cancer does not necessarily mean you will develop it. Some family histories may suggest an inherited cancer risk, while other cases may occur without a clear hereditary pattern. A qualified healthcare professional can help put a single diagnosis, or a larger family pattern, into the right context and determine whether further risk assessment may be appropriate.
That distinction matters:
Ovarian cancer is one of the cancers most closely associated with hereditary cancer syndromes. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that clinicians assess women with a personal or family history of breast, ovarian, tubal, or peritoneal cancer using a brief familial-risk assessment tool. People with a positive assessment should receive genetic counseling and, when indicated after counseling, genetic testing. Source: USPSTF
Inherited BRCA1 and BRCA2 changes are passed down in an autosomal dominant pattern, which means they can come from either the maternal or paternal side of a family. A father can pass a relevant gene change to a daughter, even if no women on his side of the family have had ovarian cancer. Source: National Cancer Institute
One relative's diagnosis can be enough to start a conversation. A qualified healthcare professional can consider the broader family pattern, including relatives on both sides of the family.
It may be useful to discuss hereditary cancer risk with a healthcare professional if your family includes:
These patterns do not prove an inherited syndrome is present. They provide the information a genetics professional needs to decide whether testing may be appropriate. Source: USPSTF
The more complete the family history, the more informative the conversation can be. Before an appointment, try to collect:
Include parents, siblings, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins where possible. If details are unavailable, that is okay—share what you know rather than delaying the conversation.
Family history is a record of diagnoses in biological relatives. Hereditary cancer syndrome is a medically defined condition caused by an inherited gene change.
For ovarian cancer, hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome is commonly associated with BRCA1 and BRCA2. Lynch syndrome, caused by inherited changes in genes involved in DNA repair, is also associated with increased ovarian cancer risk. Source: National Cancer Institute
Testing is not limited to BRCA1 and BRCA2. Depending on the family pattern, a clinician may recommend a multi-gene hereditary cancer panel. The right test and whether testing is appropriate should be determined through genetic counseling.
For a broader explanation, see Kadance’s guide to hereditary ovarian cancer syndrome and overview of inherited ovarian cancer.
Hereditary cancer risk testing looks for inherited gene changes that may raise risk for ovarian cancer and other cancers. It is usually performed using a blood, saliva, or cheek swab sample. A result can help guide conversations about risk management, testing for relatives, and care planning with a licensed physician.
Testing does not tell you with certainty whether you will develop cancer. A positive result means a harmful gene change was found; it does not mean cancer is inevitable. A negative result does not erase all risk, especially when no known family variant has been identified.
When possible, testing often begins with a relative who has had cancer. Their result may provide clearer information about whether an inherited variant is present in the family and whether testing may be informative for other biological relatives.
The phrase “genetic testing” can mean different things. These tests answer different clinical questions:
If someone has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, tumor testing and inherited-risk testing may both be relevant, but they are not interchangeable. Read Kadance’s guide to ovarian cancer genetic testing for more context.
If ovarian cancer appears in your family, a healthcare professional can review the broader family pattern and help determine whether hereditary cancer risk testing or referral to a genetics professional may be appropriate.
This may be particularly relevant when a relative has a known inherited genetic variant, ovarian cancer occurs alongside other related cancers, or multiple cancers appear across generations.
Family history is one part of your health picture. A few practical steps can help you prepare for an informed conversation:
The USPSTF recommends against routine ovarian-cancer screening for people who are not known to be at high risk. That recommendation does not apply to people with known genetic mutations that increase ovarian-cancer risk, whose care should be individualized with a clinician. Source: USPSTF
No. Your mother's diagnosis does not mean you will develop ovarian cancer. It does make your family history important to share with a physician, who can help determine whether further hereditary cancer risk assessment may be appropriate.
Yes. Relevant inherited gene changes can be passed down through either biological parent. A paternal family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic, or prostate cancer can be important to mention.
Possibly. Whether testing may be useful depends on the broader family history, age at diagnosis, other cancers in the family, and whether a relative has a known inherited gene change. A licensed physician can help determine whether hereditary cancer risk assessment, testing, or referral to a genetics professional may be appropriate.
No. A negative result means the test did not identify the inherited gene changes it was designed to detect. Your clinician can explain what that result means in light of your personal and family history.
If ovarian cancer has appeared in your family, understanding the broader pattern can help you have a more informed conversation with your physician. Family history, age at diagnosis, related cancers, and known genetic results can all provide useful context when considering inherited cancer risk.