A new study from the Journal of Oncology that suggests women who carry the BRCA 1 gene mutation can lower their risk of breast and ovarian cancers by undergoing surgery to remove both ovaries before age 35.
It's a serious operation that local doctors say needs to be carefully considered.
Dr. Steven Kalter, a San Antonio oncologist, says hereditary breast cancer is an uncommon illness.
"It only affects between 3 and 5 percent of American women, so lest we scare the public about the necessity of running out and having the ovaries removed, we need to understand that first we need to identify the mutation," says Kalter.
A blood test can determine if a patient carries the BRCA gene. If she does, she may consider the prophylactic oophorectomy, or the removal of both ovaries.
For many women, this means having to undergo other procedures if she has not yet had children, but wants them.
One option would be to undergo in vitro, have her eggs taken out, then frozen for later use.
But what about concern of carrying on the BRCA 1 gene?
That requires what's called pre-implantation genetic screening where the embryos are tested for the BRCA 1 gene.
"We get the results (of the testing) back, which show which embryos were affected with the gene, and which embryos were unaffected," said Dr. Greg Neal, of the Fertility Center of San Antonio. "We can then transfer unaffected embryos into the woman's uterus, and that would help remove the gene from the family."
For women who do not want children, or those over 35 years old who carry the BRCA 1 gene mutation, Kalter said the new recommendation should be considered.
"In that situation, perhaps having the oophorectomy would protect you from ovarian cancer and also likely protect you from breast cancer, but you have to be very careful about that last recommendation," he says.
Kalter says any decision about whether or not to have the surgery should come after careful consideration and discussions with a physician.