Omen carrying a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, which greatly increases the risk of breast cancer, can cut that risk by 70 per cent by removal of their two ovaries, according to new research from the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Centre. Their findings, published in the US Journal of the National Cancer Institute, involved a study of 122 women with the BRCA1 gene mutation.
After tracking their health history for 10 years, it was found that cancer incidence was much lower in the 79 women who had had their ovaries removed, although the researchers cautioned that this did not completely eliminate the risk. They are now seeking a non-surgical alternative that will achieve a similar result.