Last week a new study came out concerning women with the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations and breast cancer. Women with these mutations have a much greater chance of developing breast, ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancer.

A large group of women - 1,828 to be exact - with these mutations were followed for 3 and a half years. It was found that the women who had their ovaries removed (known as an oophorectomy) lowered their chances of getting ovarian cancer by 80%!

It should be noted that these were women who had their ovaries removed before they had any known cancer, as a preventative measure.

On the other hand, about 4% of them still got cancer anyway.

You may ask - how could someone get ovarian cancer if they have no ovaries? Well, this is because they got the cancer in the lining of their abdomen (called the peritoneum), which is similiar tissue to that of the ovaries.

Many doctors recommend that women with the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations have their ovaries removed once they are done having kids or by age 35 - 40.

Results of this study were published in the July 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

(Technorati Tags: ovarian cancer, BRCA1, BRCA2, mutations, women)