UChicago Medicine offering novel prevention option to women at risk for ovarian cancer

Synopsis: Could delaying removal of ovaries prevent or delay sexual dysfunction in women who are at high risk for developing ovarian cancer? University of Chicago Medicine researcher Iris Romero, MD, MS, launched a study with researchers at other leading institutions to answer this question. When women carry certain gene mutations like BRCA1, their chances of developing certain cancers, such as ovarian and breast cancer, increase by as much as 39 percent. Since current screening options for ovarian cancer don't reliably catch the disease at a treatable stage, most high-risk patients are encouraged to undergo one surgery removing both their fallopian tubes and ovaries.