Take Ovaries To Avoid Cancer

I AM HAVING SURGERY 10/15. THE ONE THING I AM AGONIZING OVER IS SHOULD I KEEP THE OVARIES OR HAVE THEM REMOVED TO AVOID CANCER WORRIES IN THE FUTURE?

I AM 50 YEARS OLD, IF THERE WAS A RELIABLE TEST TO DETECT OVARIAN CANCER B/4 ITS DEVELOPED I WOULD NOT HESITATE TO KEEP THEM.

MY DR. SUGGESTS TAKING EVERYTHING, AND MY HUSBAND AGREES.

WHAT ARE YOUR IDEAS?

This is simply my humble opinion, but I would agree with your doctor and husband. I am 35 and had a TAH/LSO 2 years ago. I wish so badly that they had also taken the right ovary and I could have had everything over and done with. As it stands now, I'm facing a RSO within the next few months and I am very frustrated and angry about it.

Good luck with your hyst, regardless what you decide.

If you have no troubles to date with your ovaries, if you have no history of ovarian cancer--- if your ovaries are healthy -why remove them? I would ask the dr this question.

The percentage of women who develop ovarian cancer is not extrememly high. Granted, no one wants to be in the percentage that does get this cancer, but if there are no problems and you are not in a higher risk group, I would question this suggestion.

Even after menopause our ovaries continue to contribute to the well being of our bodies, albeit to a lesser degree.

Hi Muttix3,

I am 46 and I decided to keep my ovaries. My ovaries were healthy and my Dr. left the decision up to me. He did tell me he would do a "looky loo" on my ovaries during surgery to make sure everything was okay.

I wanted to go through natural menopause, if I was a candidate. My mom went through it at 51. My Dr. told me that 3-5% of women get ovarian cancer, so I thought my odds were good. Also, ovarian cancer does not run in the females in my family.

From what I have read on H.S., the ovaries can secrete hormones until the last drop of functioning. The hormones help with skin, hair and the bones.

If you are leaning towards removing your ovaries, you might want to check with your Dr. about HRT or an alternative method for post-op.

Good Luck. The ovary question is very personal and we Hyster Sisters are here to support you.

Mary

Your chances of developing ovarian cancer after a hyster are very low. The chances of getting ovarian cancer are about 1 in 80 (though it increases with age). The chances of getting ovarian cancer after a hyster is 1 in 300.

There are new blood tests on the horizon that help with catching ovarian cancer early. Right now the CA-125 test is the only one widely available. The good news is that during your hyster, your doctor will get a good look at your ovaries and can make a good determination about them.

Your ovaries make many hormones, only some of which are replaced with HRT. You should carefully evaluate your family's medical history of cancer, heart disease and even osteopororsis. If your ovaries are healthy, I strongly suggest keeping them unless you have a history of endo, painful recurring cysts or ovarian cancer.

Here are a few risk factors for Ovarian Cancer:

* Have 2 or more relatives who have had ovarian cancer
* Have a family history of multiple cancers: ovarian, breast or colon cancer
* Were diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 50
* Have a personal history of multiple exposures to fertility drugs
* Are of Ashkenazi Jewish decent
* Have had uninterrupted ovulation (never used birth control pills, or no pregnancies)
* Have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation
* Are over the age of 50

These factors Reduce the risk of Ovarian Cancer:

* Multiple children-women with children have a 45% decrease in risk of ovarian cancer relative to those women who have not borne children. Each child is associated with a 10-15% reduction in risk.
* Breast feeding-a reduction in lifetime risk for ovarian cancer of nearly 1% for each month of lactation has been reported.
* Oral contraceptive use-OC use appears to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by 30-60% depending upon the duration of use.
* Tubal ligation (sterilization)-33% decrease in risk
* Removal of the ovaries (Prophylactic oophorectomy)-this is only considered in patients proven to carry the following inherited cancer syndromes: familial site-specific ovarian cancer, familial breast/ovarian cancer, Lynch II syndrome. The benefits are as yet unproven and should be discussed with a genetic counselor.
* Hysterectomy

Ovarian cancer is rather rare, heart disease and strokes kill far more women than women's cancers. Natural hormones have been shown to protect many women from early artery disease. Even after natural menopause ovaries continue to produce low levels of hormones in most women, including androgens which can help to maintain your libido.

Definitely talk to your doctor about any of your risk factors to help make your decision and perhaps consult a genetic counselor about your family's medical history. If you do decide to have them taken out, be sure to check out the hormone forums as well (there's one for HRT and one for going without).

Take care.

Hi
I knew going in to hyster that at least 1 ovary was going possibly both bad endo etc ,I discussed with my Dr cancer fears and in my case I have so much scarring that future surgery would be difficult to say the least so taking everything was best option for me, just my opinion but I think we have to look at all possible outcomes "do you want future surgery" "worry of what might happen" can also drive you crazy Best Wishes to you in making your decision it seems us women seem to be always making the tough ones!!!
Wendygai :



TAH/BSO 9/10/04

Hi,

I agonized over the same question. I'm almost 49. My doctor also said it was a personal decision. My mother had a TAH at my age and her doc told her to have them out. So did my aunt (her twin) and my grandmother. My grandmother, bless her heart, had breast cancer when she was in her 60s. Believe it or not, she is now 91 and for the most part healthy. I wonder whether if she didn't have her ovaries out her cancer would have spread to them.

My mom nagged me to have them out but another friend who had them out in her 30s nagged me to keep them. My doctor said it's up to me, but if I were his wife, he'd advise her to have them out. To me, that was the clincher. Although ovarian cancer isn't real common, why risk it? You can always take hormones if you're not ready for a radical menopause.

Good luck with your surgery. I'm glad I had it done.

Vicki

I was age 50 when I had my TAH/BSO. One of my ovaries had a benign cyst, but otherwise they were in perfect shape. I had them removed for prophylactic reasons. I trusted my gyn enough to believe that he would not have removed them if he felt it was likely that doing so could harm me. He did not recommend it one way or the other; he just said that if I wanted them removed, he would do it. I discussed it with my family physician afterwards, when I was second-guessing the intelligence of my decision, and asked him why my gyn would remove healthy ovaries, when he knew that HRT could be a challenge in some cases, like mine. My doctor replied, "He doesn't want to see you in his office five years from now with ovarian cancer, and have to say to himself: If only I would have taken them out when I had the chance."

After hearing that straight-forward and very simple answer from my doctor, I have come to peace with my decision, and I am not looking back...only looking forward.

Best Wishes and Many s to You!

I have another slant. I had a cyst on my ovary which 3 specialists assured me was an endometrioma. I am 48 years old and had problems with endo since my twenties. I decided to have both ovaries removed as I had pain in the other ovary.

I had no family history of ovarian cancer.

Even after surgery my Surgeon showed me a picture of the ovary with endo written on it.

I got some path results back yesterday. It was not an endometrioma - it was a tumour that has borderline characteristics. Pre-cancer!

So, it may be rare, but it happened to me I am glad I chose to have them both removed!

I am having a TAH Wednesday, everything is coming out including ovaries, I have a cyst on my left ovary. Gyno says, seeing my age of 49, and no more children, why keep the ovaries. I won't have to worry about any ovarian cancer...

I am still a bit nervous, never had surgery before.... UGH....

Diane