Oophorectomy(?)

IndyMom · September 2016

My BRCA1 and 2 came back negative. Which is good news. But I would still like to get my ovaries removed to be on the safer side. For my peace of mind.

I am having a hard time convincing my surgeon about this. I have my BMX scheduled for 10/20. And she recommended not to do it at the same time. Instead to do it at the time of my reconstruction surgery. But my plastic surgeon said they cannot schedule Ooph at the same time as reconstruction.

I feel like they are trying to push me away from getting my ovaries removed.

Couple of questions...

1. Have any other ladies here got their ovaries removed even when BRCA1 and 2 came back negative?

2. When is the best time to get my Ooph scheduled?

thanks

Indy Mom

ElaineTherese · September 2016

Hi Indy Mom!

If you are premenopausal, and planning to take an aromatase inhibitor for hormonal therapy (only for ER+ women), some doctors will take out the ovaries because the other option is to do ovulation suppression. Ovulation suppression involves a periodic shot (mine is once a month) to shut down your ovaries.

I actually chose to do ovulation suppression rather than an ooph. My OB/GYN would prefer not to do an ooph if there isn't anything wrong with the ovaries. He says that women tend to live longer if they keep their ovaries.

Good luck!

inks · September 2016

I can't find the exact study, but only high risk young women benefited from oophorectomy. Do you fall in that group? It does carry some significant risks also. Talk to more doctors and have hem explain their their recommendations. Ooph is such a small surgery, you'll be fine even if it is done during a separate surgery. Often surgeons don't like to do ooph during reconstruction because they are worried about infection.

farmerlucy · September 2016

A trial on an ovarian suppressor is a good way to see how well you handle menopause. I was 54 and premenopausal when I had mine. The surgery was easy, instant menopause not so much. I was braca negative too, but having issueson Tamoxifen, so I decided to do the ooph. In hindsight I'm not sure I'd do it again.

AnotherMichelle · September 2016

Inks, the name of it was the SOFT trials, I think.

IndyMom, you might bring that up with your surgeon because it does show that premenopausal women ER+/PR+ have an advantage with ovarian suppression.

I was BRCA negative. I had not only an ooph but a complete hysterectomy. (I'm 47 now.) With the robot, it was easy as pie. But I could tell that my breast surgeon was annoyed at having to synch up her schedule with the gyno onco (especially because of the robot). My gyno onco said they have even done three surgeries together if I wanted to do reconstruction (which I did not because I had a lumpectomy) with a plastic surgeon. So I know it can be done. Maybe see if your surgeon has *very specific* reasons s/he doesn't want to do the ooph at the same time?

Good luck,

Keli

7of9 · September 2016

I wanted my ovaries out when first diagnosed and treated with neoadjunct chemo and a double mastectomy. I was diagnosed with a recurrence 3.5 yrs later....still ER positive, tamoxifen failure. I was furious!!!! They did an Axillary dissection and full hysterectomy at the same time. Good riddance!

Brenaj · September 2016

I was negative for the BRCA1 and 2. However, my mother had both breast cancer and ovarian cancer. My sister and I were both diagnosed with breast cancer in June of 2015 and both have been recommended to have our ovaries removed. (we both tested negative for the BRCA 1 and 2, but both positive for another gene they know little about at this time). I had my ooph at the end of May and did it as a separate surgery, after I had finished chemo, surgery, chemo and radiation.

IndyMom · October 2016

Thanks for all your responses! :-)

Oophorectomy(?)

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