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Staying prepared and organized

Even if you’ve completed treatment, it’s still important to be organized and stay on top of your health. Keeping your records and health insurance coverage in order makes it easier to manage follow-up care, future checkups, and any new concerns that may come up.

Keep your health insurance

It’s very important to keep health insurance as an ovarian cancer survivor. It can help cover the cost of follow-up visits, tests, and any care you may need in the future. No one wants to think about cancer coming back, but it’s best to be prepared.

Save your medical records

At some point, you may see a new doctor who doesn’t know your cancer history. Keep copies of your medical records so you can easily share the details of your diagnosis and treatment when needed.

Can I lower my risk of the ovarian cancer progressing or coming back?

If you have (or have had) ovarian cancer, you probably want to know if there are things you can do that might lower your risk of the cancer growing or coming back. While there are some things you can do that might be helpful, more research is needed to know for sure.

Get regular physical activity

Some studies have shown that women who are more physically active after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer might live longer. More research is being done in this area.

Adopt other healthy behaviors

Adopting healthy behaviors such as not smoking, eating well, and staying at a healthy weight might help lower the risk of recurrence, but no one knows for sure. However, we do know that these types of changes can have other health benefits.

About dietary supplements

So far, no dietary supplements (including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products) have been shown to clearly help lower the risk of ovarian cancer progressing or coming back. This doesn’t mean that no supplements will help, but it’s important to know that none have been proven to do so.

Dietary supplements are not regulated like medicines in the United States – they do not have to be proven effective (or even safe) before being sold, although there are limits on what they’re allowed to claim they can do. If you’re thinking about taking any type of nutritional supplement, talk to your health care team. They can help you decide which ones you can use safely while avoiding those that might be harmful.

If the cancer comes back

If the cancer does recur at some point, your treatment options will depend on where the cancer is located, what treatments you’ve had before, and your health.

See Understanding Recurrence to learn more.

Do ovarian cancer survivors have a higher risk of other cancers?

Some people may develop a new, unrelated cancer after treatment. This is called a second cancer. Ovarian cancer survivors can get any type of second cancer, but they have an increased risk of:

• Colorectal cancer, small intestine cancer, and cancer of the renal pelvis (part of the kidney), likely due to genetic factors such as Lynch syndrome that increase risk for these cancers as well as ovarian cancer
• Breast cancer, likely due to genetic factors such as BRCA mutations and other factors that increase risk for both breast and ovarian cancer)
• Bladder cancer
• Bile duct cancer
• Melanoma of the eye
• Acute leukemia, when treated with certain chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin, carboplatin, cyclophosphamide, or ifosfamide
• Soft tissue cancer and possibly pancreatic cancer, when treated with radiation therapy)

Studies have shown that the risk of developing solid tumors is higher during all follow-up periods after ovarian cancer.

Can I lower my risk of getting a second cancer?

There are steps you can take to stay healthy and lower your risk of getting another cancer. Ovarian cancer survivors are encouraged to:

• Stay away from tobacco products
• Get to and stay at a healthy weight
• Keep physically active and limit sitting or lying down time
• Follow a healthy eating pattern that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and that limits or avoids red and processed meats, sugary drinks, and highly processed foods.
• Avoid or limit alcohol. If you do drink, have no more than 1 drink per day.

These habits may also lower the risk of other health problems.

Getting emotional support

Some amount of feeling depressed, anxious, or worried is normal when cancer is a part of your life. Some people are affected more than others. But everyone can benefit from help and support from other people, whether friends and family, religious groups, support groups, professional counselors, or others. Learn more in Life After Cancer.