These Jobs May Put You At A Higher Risk Of Ovarian Cancer

In the UK, there are around 7,500 new ovarian cancer cases every year. While it’s often found in people aged 75-79, it can occur at any age. 

According to Cancer Research UK, 1 in 50 people assigned female at birth will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in their lifetime, and apparently 11% of those cases are preventable.

However, according to new research published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, some jobs could be putting people at a higher risk of the disease due to certain “agents” that their job exposes them to such as talcs, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and synthetic dyes and fibres.

The jobs that could put you at a higher risk of ovarian cancer

According to the research, which studied data on 491 Canadian people with ovarian cancer and compared it with 897 people without the disease, there are seven jobs that put people at a higher risk of ovarian cancer and in the cases of hairdressers, barbers, and beauticians, there appears to be a three-fold risk of the disease. 

Researchers do acknowledge in the study, however, that further research is essential. 

The full list of jobs linked to a significantly higher than average risk of ovarian cancer is:

• Hairdresser
• Barber
• Beautician
• Construction worker
• Accountant
• Clothes maker or embroiderer
• Sales or retail worker

However, interestingly, nurses appear to have a decreased risk of developing the disease. 

In linked correspondence to the journal, academics from the National Cancer Institute in Maryland, US said that the research highlights the importance of including women in cancer research saying, “by excluding women, we miss the opportunity to identify risk factors for female-specific cancers, to evaluate whether sex-specific differences in risk occur, and to study exposures occurring in occupations held primarily by women.”

They added,

“Moreover, it reminds us that there are many opportunities to improve the exposure assessment in those studies to characterise women’s occupational exposures.”

Symptoms of ovarian cancer

According to the NHS, symptoms of ovarian cancer include frequently (roughly 12 or more times a month) having:

• a swollen tummy or feeling bloated
• pain or tenderness in your tummy or the area between the hips (pelvis)
• no appetite or feeling full quickly after eating
• an urgent need to pee or needing to pee more often

And other symptoms of ovarian cancer can include:

• indigestion
• constipation or diarrhoea
• back pain
• feeling tired all the time
• losing weight without trying
• bleeding from the vagina after the menopause

Speak to your GP if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms.