Report spells hope for women with high risk of breast and ovarian cancer
Women with a high-risk cancer gene can reduce the chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer by 90% if both breasts are removed, according to a report published in medical journal The Lancet.
There is up to an 85% risk of breast cancer and 60% risk of ovarian cancer for women who have a faulty BRCA1 gene. However, offering advice to women with this condition has been difficult with no clear evidence of how effective preventative surgery is. The new findings suggest surgery to remove both ovaries may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer 24-fold and the risk of breast cancer by half.
Lead researcher, Dr Paul Harkin, said: 'Surgery to remove a woman's breasts and ovaries may seem a drastic step, but we have to remember the women involved in these studies are at a very high risk. However, it is important to emphasise the choice lies with the women themselves. Some decide to undergo surgery as it gives them peace of mind, others prefer to watch and wait.'
According to the report, one study showed women who had surgery to remove both breasts and ovaries gained an estimated 12 extra years of life, compared with screening alone.
Lead author of the report, Dr Richard Kennedy, said: 'One reason for the failure of screening in this group of women is that tumours are often fast-growing and can develop between screening appointments.'
One in 1,000 women worldwide carries a faulty BRCA1 gene, but it is more common in some populations, according to the researchers. Jewish women and women of Eastern European origin are believed to have a higher chance of carrying it.
Commenting on the findings, Sir Paul Nurse, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: 'There are a number of issues that still need to be addressed ' most importantly what advice and information is given to women at high risk to inform and reassure them.'
