Obesity raises a woman's risk for ovarian cancer, doctors find in a new study. They tracked more than 90,000 women for 7 years and discovered those who were obese had an 80 percent greater chance of developing ovarian cancer.

However, only certain women seemed to have the increased risk. Could you be one of them?

There are more than 20,000 new cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed in the United States each year.

It remains one of the most difficult cancers to beat - only 37 percent of patients survive at least 5 years.

New research suggests that women might reduce their odds of ovarian cancer by maintaining a healthy weight.

Doctors followed 94,000 middle-aged and senior women for 7 years. They found that obese women were nearly 80 per cent more likely to develop ovarian cancer.

However, the link to obesity only appeared in those who had no family history of the disease and who had not used post-menopausal hormone treatment.

Researchers speculate that obesity only impacts women who otherwise have a very low risk for ovarian cancer.

They theorize the excess weight triggers more estrogen production, which in turn increases the odds for hormone-related disease, including both breast and ovarian cancers.

Experts recommend women follow a sensible diet and exercise several times per week to keep the pounds off, especially with advancing age.

Source: published in Cancer by researchers from the National Cancer Institute