Patients with BRCA gene mutations have a significantly higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. As a preventive measure, many patients undergo mastectomy or removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
However, these surgeries may not be worth the cost for some patients with BRCA mutations who have previously had ovarian cancer, according to a new study published by the Annals of Surgical Oncology.
The study suggests that prophylactic mastectomy among ovarian cancer survivors with a BRCA mutation may not increase survival and is not cost-effective.
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“Risk-reducing mastectomy is costly and can require many months of follow-up and recovery,” said lead author Charlotte Gamble, MD. “Our results emphasize that prophylactic mastectomy should be used selectively in women with both a BRCA mutation and a history of ovarian cancer.”
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“Our study provides clarity on how a woman’s age and timing of a risk-reducing mastectomy after an ovarian cancer diagnosis impact the benefit of this procedure,” Dr Gamble said. “Within the first 5 years, nobody benefitted from risk-reducing mastectomy and after that threshold, survival gains were seen mostly in the youngest, healthiest ovarian cancer patients.”
These results suggest that prophylactic mastectomy may not be the best treatment route for a majority of ovarian cancer survivors with BRCA mutations.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: Mastectomy Likely Not Effective for Ovarian Cancer Survivors with BRCA Mutation
