Ovaries links to breast cancer

Stillwater, take this to your doctors visit.

Also, you can google BRCA and ovary removal and get many articles.

http://www.ynhh.org/healthlink/cancer/cancer_2_03.html

Connie

Stillwater, one more link. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/ph..._screening.pdf

This talks about breast cancer genes, criterian for testing, etc. This will help you understand what the oncologists know about this area.

Connie

I come from a family of breast cancer fighters and just plain cancer in general. Every person that has passed away on both my mother and father's side have passed from cancer at very early ages. The family history is daunting. I was diagnosed with atypical ductal hyperplasia three years ago (ripe age of 46), and have been on tamoxifen to block the estrogen in my breasts. Unfortunately my ovaries have decided to push out the estrogen at such high levels that my system is completely out of whack and can be a potential breeding ground for cancer in my situation. Because of the tamoxifen I cannot take anything to lower the estrogen levels. A vicious catch-22. After three breast surgeries, nine biopsies, and BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic testing (both negative), I am still in need of further assistance to prevent the cancer from arriving. So, I am scheduled for a TAH/BSO on May 14th which will put me into immediate menopause. The interesting thing is that by having the ovaries removed I may be able to go off the tamoxifen...time will tell. With my OB/GYN, oncologist, and breast surgeon working together, I feel confident that I am making the right decision.

One comment that I don't think I've seen in this trail is something that the genetic counselor at my cancer center told me (he headed up the tamoxifen study here in this area), while I may test negative for BRCA1 and 2, that doesn't mean that there isn't an "undiscovered" gene out there that might be hereditary, but which just hasn't been identified yet. Medical science just isn't that advanced to find everything.

Everyone's situation is different, and you need to do what is right for you alone. Second and third opinions are very good, and worth your time, if not for confirmation alone. For me, I am opting on the side of caution....and am looking forward to getting the summer off albeit the hard way!

Good luck!
Kathy

I am having a definite ooph and possible TAH. I have breast CA and have to have the ovaries out because they are fueling my BC. My BC is 100% estrogen/progesterone +++ and to add insult to injury, my GYN had me on PROVERA and another progestin pre-NOVASURE to stop heavy bleeding. So w/o knowing, those drugs added to my cancer. I am scared cuz cant have HRT and have already had 2 abd. surgeries that didn't go so "swell." I have disease w/my liver, lungs. I am just a little depressed tonight and hoping that it'll all go fine. I just keep thinking that I HAVE to do it, even tho I am still weak from previous surgery/rads, the oncologist and the GYO are insisting, or the bc will come back. Hubby has CA too which really stinks. Its really hard sometimes to be positive, but LIFE is good otherwise? Ok.. enuff whining..Onwards and upwards..

Thank you all for being here to help me get ready for surgery, which will be scheduled shortly.

Peace n' Prayers

Peachy, I think the good news is that if you tumor is 100% er positive and you stop the estrogen that has got to be good.(at least it seems like it to me!!)

I am 45 and had my ovaries out and am doing fine with nothing 4 weeks later. Everyone is different but I actually feel better than before the operation because I had to be on the pill to control the bleeding and growth of the fibroids and cysts.

So sorry you and your husband both are fighting cancer.

Connie

Please go to mdanderson.com and under the heading diseases and related topics select ovarian cancer. This is one of the top cancer facilities in the world and the information their could be quite helpful to you. I am 57 and just went through an ovarian cancer scare. On March 7, I had a tah/bso and the tumor was benign. It makes me shutter to think I had a tumor growing inside of me and I had absolutely no symptoms whatever. I am relieved that I know longer have to worry about ovarian cancer especially because it has very few if any symptoms until the disease is quite advanced.

I think women should be careful not to jump too soon. Of course in the case of the lady whose family all got cancer in their 40's and the lady who has breast cancer already, is it really necessary to take ovaries out at the ripe ages of 20, 30, and 40 when the realistic age risk of ovarian cancer happens much later. The rise in heart disease from ovary removal is much stronger. Is it possible to be trading one death for another? Please make sure to do the research on heart disease after ovary removal. Heart disease is a much more prevalant killer in women than ovarian cancer. I too have ovarian, breast, prostate, and uterine cancer in my family, but was not willing to go into menopause and risk heart disease which has killed more members of my family than cancer at the ripe age of 39. Please make sure you don't get too scared and do something that may be of even more danger to you. Just my 2 cents.

Does anyone have any info on how long the ovaries are useful? I'm 60 and have no family history of ovarian cancer, very little of breast cancer. I've been post-menopausal for about 5 years, was on HRT only for a few years, been off it for about 3-4 years -- all the flashes, etc behind me. Are the ovaries doing me any good at all now or are they so much useless tissue?
I need to decide this before May 16 -- doctor says it's up to me, but I can see her preference would be for taking them out.

After being in menopause for seven years my gyn said my ovaries were of very little use at all. I did not worry about still having them. Then three years after she said that, I had some very slight postmenopausal bleeding. I immediately went to my gyn and she ordered and abdominal ultrasound and vaginal ultrasound. I knew something was wrong when they called someone else to look at the ultrasound. They found a mass on my ovary. My doctor said she was very concerned, that based on the reports it could possible be ovarian cancer. She then ordered a ca-125 and two other tumor marker tests. As a result on March 7 I had a SAH/BSO. It turned into a very extensive surgery, but the end result was no cancer. Prior to the bleeding, I never had a sign or symtom of any kind that a tumor was growing inside of me. For me, I'm glad the ovaries and everything or gone. I don't think my heart could take another scare light that. As far as age, I turned 57 seven days after my hysterectomy. As for HRT, I was never on it of any kind. Hope this helps. Good luck with your decision.

Thanks, dr315. Gives me more to think about. Glad it turned out benign for you, though.
I have the feeling I'm the oldest person here...