Is ovarian cancer still possible after a hysterectomy?

Yes. You still have a risk of ovarian cancer or a type of cancer that acts just like it (peritoneal cancer) if you've had a hysterectomy.

Your risk depends on the type of hysterectomy you had:

  • Partial hysterectomy or total hysterectomy. A partial hysterectomy removes your uterus, and a total hysterectomy removes your uterus and your cervix. Both procedures leave your ovaries intact, so you can still develop ovarian cancer.

  • Total hysterectomy with salpingo-oophorectomy. This procedure removes your cervix and uterus as well as both ovaries and fallopian tubes. This makes ovarian cancer less likely to occur, but it does not remove all risk.

    You still have a small risk of peritoneal cancer. The peritoneum is a covering that lines the abdominal organs and is close to the ovaries. Cells in the peritoneum are very similar to cells in the ovaries. When cancer happens in the peritoneum, it looks and acts like ovarian cancer.

If you're concerned about your risk of cancer, discuss it with your health care provider.

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Feb. 20, 2025 See more Expert Answers

See also

  1. Abdominal hysterectomy
  2. Alternative cancer treatments: 11 options to consider
  3. Back Pain
  4. Beating Ovarian Cancer
  5. Belching, intestinal gas, gas pains and bloating
  6. Birth control pill FAQ
  7. Bleeding after hysterectomy: What can I expect?
  8. BRCA gene test
  9. CA 125 test
  10. CA 125 test: A screening test for ovarian cancer?
  11. Cancer survivorship program
  12. Cancer treatment
  13. Chemo targets
  14. Chemotherapy
  15. Chemotherapy and hair loss: What to expect during treatment
  16. Chemotherapy and sex: Is sexual activity OK during treatment?
  17. Chemotherapy nausea and vomiting: Prevention is best defense
  18. Fertility preservation
  19. Gas and gas pains
  20. Gynecologic Cancers
  21. Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC)
  22. Intestinal gas
  23. Magic mouthwash
  24. Nausea and vomiting
  25. Oophorectomy (ovary removal surgery)
  26. Ovarian cancer
  27. Pap test: Can it detect ovarian cancer?
  28. Pelvic exam
  29. Pelvic exenteration
  30. Pelvic pain
  31. Ultrasound
  32. Vaginal hysterectomy