Oopherectomy for HR Negative and BRCA Negative - any benefit?

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Tinkerbells
Tinkerbells Member Posts: 211
edited May 2015 in IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)

I have not gotten clear answers from my doctors when discussing this - and since you guys are more on the money in most subjects - I'm asking you!!!

Is there any recurrence/survival benefit to an oopherectomy for those who are HR negative and BRACA negative? I know estrogen is not the issue for us but androgens could be. I for one am strongly considering it - I know the most recent study showing a significant benefit was for our BRCA sisters, and I cannot tell from the study why that does not extend to non-BRCA. Not sure if it was the study population, etc.

Has anyone read or heard of anything? Thanks in advance!

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  • JAN69
    JAN69 Member Posts: 947
    edited May 2015

    Tinker I've been wondering this very same thing. I hope to get some responses, just as you do.

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  • shorfi
    shorfi Member Posts: 791
    edited May 2015

    Don't know if this is what you are looking for, but I did it to decrease my chances of getting ovarian cancer. Initially when I was diagnosed back in 2004, the following year my tumor markers showed an increase for the CA-125 and we decided to just remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes just to be on the safe side. But...I was ER/PR positive at that time.

    Hope this hopes.

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  • MelissaDallas
    MelissaDallas Member Posts: 7,268
    edited May 2015

    Part of the reason for the oophorectomy for BRCA is because they are also at high risk for ovarian cancer

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  • inks
    inks Member Posts: 746
    edited May 2015

    Why do I think I saw a study that removing ovaries may be even beneficial for TN disease? Does it have something to do with the androgen receptors?

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  • inks
    inks Member Posts: 746
    edited May 2015

    Here is the study http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24839033

    So it did not have anything to do with ovarian cancer, they just compared BC specific survival. Indeed more reasearch is needed.

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  • YoungTurkNYC
    YoungTurkNYC Member Posts: 334
    edited May 2015

    inks - there was a very recent study in the past week on this.  I don't know how to post it here to this thread but I posted it under Clinical Trials Etc. thread.  I will see if I can bump it.

    Yes tinkerbells - main reason for non-applicability is the fact that since BRCA positive patients go through the oophorectomy due to ovarian cancer reasons, the research study was on that population.  And please do note, I believe only BRCA1 patients got benefit not BRCA2.

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  • Tinkerbells
    Tinkerbells Member Posts: 211
    edited May 2015

    inks and young Turk- thanks for the info. I knew I saw the research but could not recall where. I will look at it again. My understanding is that the ovaries, even if not functioning at full capacity, eek out androgens in addition to estrogen and it is the androgens that affect the cells. I hope I have that right. And yes, BRCA 1 gets the benefit for BC survival, not BRCA 2.

    Complicated stuff

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  • YoungTurkNYC
    YoungTurkNYC Member Posts: 334
    edited May 2015

    Tinkerbells,

    All I can tell you is this.  When I had my oophorectomy two months after the end of chemo, I knew my period was about to return.  My skin had started getting really oily, sebum production had increased, I had started getting acne again etc.  I just knew hormones were coursing through my body, and excess androgen is one of the instigators for adult acne.  (And sure enough the pathology showed my ovaries were up and running again overtime).  Once I had the oophorectomy, this feeling of hormones coursing through my body is completely gone. I have difficulty explaining it.  I know that some people have difficulty with oophorectomy, but I had the opposite result.  I am calmer; the acne is completely gone; I have no PMS type issues.  I just know that excess hormone production, at least for me, was one of the factors that caused my BC.  (I do have family history as well, but I am not BRCA+).

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