Surgical Option: Removal of ovaries can prevent cancers in women at risk
By Nathan Seppa
Harboring a mutation in either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene is known to place a woman at high risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. Less clear is what a woman with such a mutation should do about it.
Some physicians have offered a drastic measure–ovary removal–as a preventive strategy. Although few studies have explored its value, ovary removal appeals to some doctors and their patients since it eliminates tissue that’s targeted by ovarian cancer. It also removes tissue that produces estrogen, the hormone that promotes breast and ovarian cancers.