Have ovaries taken too or not? (great aunt and one her daughters had breast cancer)

I am being scheduled for a DaVinci hysterectomy soon. My Dr asked about cancer history in my family. My grandmother's sister (my great aunt) and one of my great aunt's daughters had breast cancer. The daughter had metastatic breast cancer. My question is: since the cancer wasn't in my mom or her sister do I have to have ovaries removed? My Dr says I could see a geneticist. ..but it's my choice. Help!

Hi scoobiboo to HysterSisters!

I am glad you found this site!

Keeping your ovaries is dependent on many factors, including your own personal health, family history and other factors. You also have to weigh the pros and cons of removing your ovaries on your health. There are consequences to having them removed that can negatively impact your health. Your doctor can probably tell you about those. But, here is an article that may provide information to you:
7 Reasons Why You Should Keep Your Ovaries

I do not know if the your great aunt's family occurrence of breast cancer overrides the health implications and risks of having your ovaries removed. As your doctor suggested, you may want to see a geneticist to get a better handle on your risks.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by scoobiboo I am being scheduled for a DaVinci hysterectomy soon. My Dr asked about cancer history in my family. My grandmother's sister (my great aunt) and one of my great aunt's daughters had breast cancer. The daughter had metastatic breast cancer. My question is: since the cancer wasn't in my mom or her sister do I have to have ovaries removed? My Dr says I could see a geneticist. ..but it's my choice. Help!

According to my med onc, when doctors say "family history," they mean your grandmothers, your mother and your sisters if you have any. Great-aunts and first cousins once removed (i.e. your great-aunt's daughter) don't really count.

(My med onc told me this after I told her that one of my great-great-great-grandmothers had died of cancer but the obituary didn't say what kind and I'd tried to get a copy of the death certificate but it wasn't available.)

Its a hard decision I know. My Dr and I went round after round with each other because I wanted them removed and he didn't want to take them. My mother had ovarian and endometrial cancer and he still didn't want to take them. He reassured me that he would inspect them closely and as long as they looked healthy he wouldn't take them. I still have them and am thankful he fought me on it. Even my mother begged me to not take them. Cancer is terrifying especially ovarian but my mom and Dr were right. He did remove my tubes because new research suggest thats where ovarian cancer can start. I don't have a family history of breast cancer so I can't offer advice on it but I do know how you feel.

I would vote to keep them -take the tubes unless the doctor sees something in there that is questionable. If it is a gyn/onc doing the surgery, they should be able to check your tubes for any signs of caner. If it will give you more confidence see the genetics doctor for his opinion. He/she should be more able to confirm any connection between breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

Even after menopause your ovaries are still releasing hormones.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by SurprisedInNB According to my med onc, when doctors say "family history," they mean your grandmothers, your mother and your sisters if you have any. Great-aunts and first cousins once removed (i.e. your great-aunt's daughter) don't really count. (My med onc told me this after I told her that one of my great-great-great-grandmothers had died of cancer but the obituary didn't say what kind and I'd tried to get a copy of the death certificate but it wasn't available.)

Thank you for the greeting. I'm glad I found this site too. I appreciate all the info and support. My sister isn't being supportive at all. She said I should just "deal with it" and " leave this world with all my parts" when my time comes. It's a big decision and I have a husband and two autistic daughters to take care of.

My family history is somewhat similar in that I also have a great aunt who had breast cancer. We know that she died from it, but not much beyond that. My mom is a survivor of Stage IIB estrogen receptor positive breast cancer. I've had 8 breast biopsies (all benign) and I'm only 35. I've decided to have my ovaries removed because of my issues and the fact that my mom's cancer was estrogen-receptor positive. I've been having to get mammograms and biopsies every 6 months lately. I suspect my ovaries have something to do with it. I'll be taking the lowest does HRT possible. My lifetime risk for getting breast cancer is about 30%. You could look up a Gail Risk model online, fill it out, and get your lifetime risk calculation.

However, in your situation, you could always get a second opinion. But since both relatives were not first-degree relatives (not a mother, sister, or aunt) your risk probably isn't is super-high. As the others have suggested, it may be wise to have your Fallopian Tubes removed.

I had the genetic testing done for this reason. TONS of breast and ovarian cancers all through my family history.Thankfully, I came back BRCA negative. So, based on my age, my doctor recommended keeping mine for now, though we may revisit it when I'm in my mid-40s.

I'd definitely recommend the testing. The more knowledge you have the better! Lots of insurance companies cover it now, but unfortunately, mine didn't. Still, Myriad Labs worked with me to set up a payment plan that I could handle. Even though mine came back negative, I don't for a second regret having it done. My husband told me at the beginning that we'd figure out a way to pay for it, but that it was too important for me to skip.

Well..saw geneticist today. She recommended that I keep the ovaries. .but give the Dr the ok to remove them if she encounters a problem with them. She called my Dr. ..and my Dr called me. She's taking everything thing else and will only take them if there is trouble. She doesn't think I'll need HRT. SO....Scheduling will call this week. Thank you everyone for your input and support!!!!

Hi Scoobiboo, My Aunt had breast cancer and my Sister, so when I got it, I had the testing done. Strange but we do not have the gene that causes BC. I had a hysterectomy Sept 14th and to be honest I was very sure I wanted my ovaries out. Even thou I knew it wasn't likely that I would have a problem. Know one more thing to consider is age, I am old 57 so no big deal for me to lose them,I was put into menopause with chemo. So add that to your list when considering what to do my friend. God Bless and Keep you