What are the reasons for taking out ovaries?

geogal

I was wondering what the reasons are that doctors recommend removal of the ovaries. Does it have to do with the er and pr levels?

jennyboog

Yeah sure does, I'm having mine removed as soon as I'm done with rads & hopefully the arimidex will take care of the rest of that estrogen.  Also, if you are BRCA + you stand a higher chance of developing ovarian cancer.

geogal

My Onco has never mentioned this?? I don't think I can take any more "wonderful" news. I did not have the BRCA testing. So being er+ is one of the reasons??

jennyboog

Yeah, that's my understanding.  ER+ means your bc feeds off the estrogen being produced in the body to remove the ovaries removes that estrogen.  You still having some floating around being produced by adrenal glands, etc. So, the AI's take care of that little bit being made.   I had brca tesing done before starting chemo, it shows whether you carry the bc gene or not.  I have two girls and was very interested in knowing for them but also just to know.  I'm the only one in my family who has ever had bc though, so it cames as a bit of a shock when it was +.

clariceak

I just had mine taken out Friday.  There is a history of breast cancer and ovarian cancer in my family and the genetic specialist said I had a inconclusive negative for BRCA.  My primary motiviation for having them removed was to drop my estrogren levels to the lowest level possible as quickly as possible.

I was in perimenopause before dx, then chemopause and Femara after treatment.  I then found article which stated that although you may be in menopause your estrogren levels will fall steadily over tim .  To create a dramatic drop an ooph is needed.  Please don't quote me and I didn't save the link so hopefully someone can come along with credible research.

There are also many consequences for having an ovary removal, including increased risk of heart disease etc.  As a Stage 3C, I feel my most immediate threat was my bc so out they went.  Now I just wish I could have all the fat sucked out of my belly along with the stored estrogen!

karen1956

there is an association between bc and ovarian cancer....reduce your risk for oc.....if not in menopause, slams you there and then you can take AI's.  I had ooph after bilat, chemo and rads....don't regret it at all as its one less thing to worry about....but I was 50 and heading toward menopause prior to Dx...chemo stopped my periods.

SharonJ1234

Hi there, I had mine taken out.  My cancer feeds on estrogen, so get rid of the food source.  I was then put on Femara to take care of any of the other estrogen floating around.  Of course there are side effects to having ovaries removed.  Straight into menopause - hot flushes, poor libido etc.  But I don't regret having them out.  I had finished my family and need to be around to watch them grow.

faithfulheart

Hi girls,

Had my ooph in june 2010, don;t regret it. I was 98% ER pos, I know we don't have solid data on this subject. Does it decrease reacurrance or not. It just seems really logical to me, take as much est.out, so it can't feed any of those free radicals that could be floating around right?  I will

say, being post meno at 42 is not the greatest thing, but the risk of a reacurrance scares me more then, mood swings, and heart problems. You know its such a personal decision, and you really have to talk to your dr. about your personal situation. My cancer was very agressive,

so I had to be very agressive right back!!

I need to raise my beautiful kids, and grow old with hubby!! My theory is if it can harm me and I don't need it take it out!!!LOL

Huggssssss

Stephanie

momand2kids

just another view

I don't have any bc or oc in my family-- had a lumpectomy, chemo, radiation and now lupron and femara (I was pre-meno and the lupron shots shut down my ovaries).  I decided, with onc and second opinion onc that taking out my ovaries was not the way to go--- I was er/pr+ and was convinced at the beginning of my journey that I would take them out--but after surgery, treatment, adjustment to the meds, another mammo scare, I just decided I was done.

I have regular gyn visits, and I know that OC is much more stealth than bc, but I decided for me, taking out more body parts was not the answer.  I think if I was BRCA or had a family history, that would be different---

I was pushed into menopause which has not been horrible, but it has been challenging---- not sure what will happen after I am done with the drugs--- we think by then my body will really be in its own menopause--if it is like this, I can handle it.  

This one is a hard decision-and I think the dr.s I worked with really felt it was unnecceary with my biology and situation.... everyone is different. 

roseamy

Hi,

i had mine removed june 10 after 18 mths my periods returned my onc wanted to stop the production of oestrogen as I am strongly er/pr+ he was going to use zoladex, but I asked for my ovaries to be removed instead. 

I have 3 teens and had been on tamox for 12 months, he agreed to this straight away. After seeing the gynea he also agreed this was the best decision for me, I was already having hot flushes etc and these have continued i am now just 43 and on arimidex.

For me this was the best solution.

motherofpatient

Thanks for posting this - it needs linked to the triple positive thread -anyone know how to do that?

Also we need a dietary thread about ER+ and all the estrogen andphytoestrogens in food and even gel cap meds.

sandpiper

If you're BRCA+, you're at high risk for ovarian cancer (though how high the risk depends on if you're BRCA1 or BRCA2+, and also where on the BRCA gene your specific mutation lies).  This is the main reason to take out ovaries.  Also, some oncs believe if you're ER+ and cannot take Tamox for some reason but hormonal therapy is indicated for your situation, and you don't want to take Lupron to temporarily shut down your ovaries, it MAY be beneficial to consider ovary removal.

However, unless you're at high risk for OV CA, there are a lot of reasons why removing your ovaries is contra-indicated.

Keep in mind all estrogen is not created equal.  Estradiol is the "bad" estrogen.  There are other forms of estrogen that aren't going to affect your risk of cancer.  That's why it's ok for many of us ER+ women to use topical estrogen vaginally.

A certain amount of estrogen is going to exist in your body even if you've gone to the extreme of removing your ovaries AND take AIs (trust me, I know from experience and from regular measuring of estradiol levels).   You just want that estradiol to metabolize into benign forms of estrogen and get flushed out of your system as rapidly and efficiently as possible.

sandpiper

and to motherofpatient - There are plenty of threads about soy food and soy products elsewhere on the boards.  The subject has been thrashed to death.  There's no clear consensus.  We all need to talk with our docs and do whatever is comfortable for us.  For myself, I have no issue with soy foods such as organic edamame or tofu.  I also don't freak out over supplements like black cohosh (some people think it's phytoestrogenic), which I take under the supervision of my PCP and with the full support of my med onc.  I do avoid soy isolates as much as possible.  As for small amounts in supplements or soy lecithin in chocolate, I simply choose not to worry about it.  That's just me.  If someone else wants to avoid these products at all costs, that's certainly their prerogative if that gives them peace of mind.  My mom is a 15+ year survivor who consumes tofu and soy milk almost daily.  My sister is a 10-year survivor who does about the same. 

faithfulheart

Ladie's

I have a friend. her first dx was at 29, 5 years later bc again. She met my brillant BS by  chance,

My BS said, "you have had too bouts of bc in five years at your age, somthings wrong!"

She tested for the braca1 and braca2 gene, she was pos. My bs recommended a prophilatic

hystorectomy. Sure enough they found cancer in her fallopian tubes that had met. to her ovaries!

Third bout of chemo, did well for three years, just had a fourth reacurrance a few months ago.

she's doing great because she is an amazing human being. She speaks all over the country on the gene, there is belife that there could and probebly is a third and fourth gene we don't even know about yet, that is scarey for all. I am not telling you this storie to alarm, i am just saying,

our goal is to live, I know having your ovaries out can suck, but so does leaving your children with out a mom or husband with out a wife. This bc is a sneaky beast! I just feel we need to fight like hell to do all we can to up our survival rates, its like buying ins. we may not need it , but man if we do we are so glad we had it!!  Hope I did not offend anyone, I know my opinion may be more agressive bc of my dx. However my friends org.dx, at 29 she had no lyph  involvment at all and is

now in stage IV, doing Awsome!!!

Please do what you  feel in your heart, but lets be smart, if est feeds your cancer, to me its a no brainer! Get them out! Just my opinion. a strong felt one though, I love my bc sista's, lets be old ladie's together!!!!!

Wow, I really do ramble sorry!

blessings

Stephanie

kim40

I have fought tooth and nail to have my ovaries removed.  No gyno in the city would touch me with a ten foot pole, why?  I have no idea other than being told that I am overreacting and I have private insurance to cover the cost of the Zoladex injections!  Can you believe that??  If I didn't have private insurance, my onc told me that they would take them out.  INSANE!!

A friend of mine lives 4 hours away in a small rural community and her gyno took hers out without even batting an eye.  I had my GP refer me to her gyno and I finally have an appt for a consult on March 10 and I couldn't be more excited.  I've wanted them out from day one and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this gyno will do it for me.

KerryMac

Kim! Great news, I hope this is your answer. Fingers crossed, let us know.

nikola

Good luck Kym. Are you close to menopause? I am 43 and not willing to spent next 5 years on inj. I think it is less damaging to take them out than to be on zoladex for so long. My surgery is in April and my onc recommended it, he sent me to gyn onc.

DesignerMom

Kim-  I totally understand your position.  I would rather do a relatively safe surgical procedure than inject drugs into my system long term that might have other SE.  I would not be above "exaggerating" about side effects from the Zolodex (read what they are before your appointment).  surely they would not insist you stay on it if you can't tolerate it!  Best of luck.

kim40

I am beyond excited!  Who would have thought that 10 years ago I would be excited to have my ovaries removed!  Anyway, I'm just hoping that this doctor really comes through for me, if not, then Kerry, I'm going to Toronto! 

Nikola - I'm 43 as well.  My onc never did run a blood test to see where my estrogen levels are.  I figuring I must be as the Zoladex is keeping my ovaries shut down and I haven't had a period. 

You know, sometimes I feel that doctors just don't get it.  Yeah, they are doctors with their degrees and all and they are supposed to know what is best for their patients, but sometimes I have to give my head a shake and ask them, what would you do if you were me?  They don't think that way...

XRAYestInMA

When I was diagnosed with BC in 2005, I found out that my ca was triple positive. After 6 months of chemo, (AC and then T), I was started on a five-year plan of Tamoxifen, in addition to a year of Herceptin. I was 37 at the time and no where near menopause. While my periods did stop for a while during the AC, they came back during the Taxol time and never went away again. I had zero side effects with the Herceptin and zero side effects with the Tamox. Once the 5 years were up, my Onc. suggested a BSO as my next step. I had those out in Dec. 2011 (laparoscopically is the way to go if you can), and opted to leave the uterus in since I had a U/S prior to the ooph and it was normal. I had 2 consults with 2 different OB/GYN's ...the first one acted as though I had lost my mind by wanting my O's out being that I was 43 and had no GYN issues (apparently she didn't get the BC and ovary connection)...the second one had no problems with scheduling me for what is basically an elective surgery. My insurance had no issues paying for it either (BC/BS of MA at the time), since it was nothing compared the the $$$ they already dished out for the tests, surgeries, and chemo.

The surgery itself was a breeze - in at 10:30 , surgery at noon, discharged home at 4 pm - 2 little scars in my abdomen and one hidden one in my umbilicus. A little nauseous once I was home and uncomfortable for a few days...was given a script for Percocet but never filled it as Motrin 800mg seemed enough to take the edge off. I was up and about doing housework/laundry by the 3rd day and back to work 2 weeks later. The surgeon recommended 4 weeks off from work but I felt good enough after 17 days off. I went back on "light duty" which for me equated to no lifting patients over 10 lbs (so basically no lifting of patients at all) and no wearing of lead gowns for 2 weeks. Overall not an unpleasant experience as surgeries go...now the surgical menopause was a tad difficult to deal with (but that's another story, LOL).

jennyboog

Glad to hear the surgery isn't that bad.  I'm looking at having mine removed in a couple mths, after I'm done with rads.  I'm on lupron right now and I don't seem to have any SE's but wouldn't know since I'm on arimidex and blame everything on it   I'm not interested in having to stay on it for years though so I'm looking forward to the oorph.  I've not had a period since my first round of AC, Already having hot flashes so that won't be any different for me.

nikola

One of the reasons I am removing mine I had three cancers developing in one breast, one was IDC, second was mixture od IDC and ILC and third one was ILC (smallest one). There is correlation between  ILC and ovary cancer.