[Familial ovarian carcinoma].

10% of ovarian cancer patients show a positive family history. Hereditary cancer syndromes show an autosomal dominant inheritance (approximately 1% of all ovarian cancers) with a life-time risk of more than 50%, whereas a positive family history without the pattern of hereditary syndromes results in a life-time risk of 5 to 7%. The most important tool to discriminate those two entities is a carefully constructed kindred, including both maternal and paternal side. In addition other cancers of the reproductive organs and the occurrence of colorectal and urological malignancies in females as well as males have to be questioned not to miss a breast-ovarian or Lynch-II-syndrome. For cancer prevention women should be advised to early start with oral contraception and prophylactic surgery has to be discussed. Cancer surveillance should be performed with annual transvaginal ultrasound examination and measurement of the tumor marker CA 125.