Oncologist visit (and ovaries)

I can't think of any reason not too other than its surgery.....I had my ooph after finishing chemo and rads.....had one shot of Lupron (3 month shot) 3 weeks post chemo, did rads and 6 weeks later had ooph done laproscopically....for me it was one less worry.....

There are many reasons not , yes!! I had the ooph because of my BRCA status, and you may decide to due to family history, but I would advise all to think LONG and HARD!! I have had a very hard time with the after effects- I am young, and if one was post menopausal it might be easier but the surgical menopause has been TERRIBLE. I'm sure eventually the hot flashes will let up (though it's been almost 9 months and no sign of it) but I will never be able to have sex (and not just intercourse but anything involving touching my vaginal tissues) without pain again without having an estring in (4x a year, $250 each without insurance). My libido is considerably diminished anyway, and will probably never be the same.

But much scarier than that stuff are the increased risks of osteoperosis and heart disease, which are high! The osteo. can be treated for , somewhat, but the heart disease (the number one killer of women in this country) cannot.

I think it's a scandal the way they are advising oophs to women without talking about these issues. I think there are cases where it can be the right thing given the limited options we have- my cancer was highly er/pr+, i had it done before chemo and had a terrific response to chemo- the ooph may have been the extra piece that was the reason for that. I don't know. I will tell you this though, which is that I just started arimidex and ooph or no oooph there was still estrogen in my system, cause the difference is HUGE.

I had an oophorectomy at age 49. Although I am BRCA negative, my mother died of breast cancer and her sister died at age 72 of ovarian cancer, and I really don't want a repeat of this whole cancer thing. Two oncologists agreed. My primary onc said that, by age 50, your ovaries have done about all the good they're going to do for you. The literature I read confirmed this and cautioned only women younger than 40 about having oophorectomies as they may suffer more heart and bone issues. I had one foot in menopause as it was, and shutting down the estrogen tap was worth it to me. A recent bone density test confirmed that my bones are in very good shape. If you do elect to have an ooph, work with your doctor to monitor your bone density and heart. Cheers!

If you are a carrier of a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, that would be a good reason to consider an oophorectomy. But you could wait doing that procedure until after age 40. If your mom had both breast and ovarian cancer that would be a strong indication of such a mutation. You may want to discuss with your onc if you should take a test?

Good info! Thanks. Did anyone do the oooov INSTEAD of Tamox?  and those who were ER+ and had teh ooov, are you all doing Arimidex?  I have to make this decision too. I was avoiding the bRAC test, but see it is importnat in making this decision. Thanks again.

I have discussed the ooph with a specialist and have decided for the time being not to have the ooph.  His input was that as my periods stopped during chemo there was no advantage to having an ooph.  If they resumed, then we need to definitely revisit the situation.  Lupron shots would be the minimum treatment option.   He told us that there are other hormones that the ovaries provide other than estrogen that can be beneficial.  These could benefit things such as cognitive functioning and memory.  Age can be a factor for surgeons recommending oophs.  I was 45 when I started chemo so the likelihood of them returning is less than even a 40 year old woman.  Such an indvidual decision.