Does postmenopausal risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy reduce the risk of BRCA-associated breast cancer?

Abstract

Objective: In addition to protecting against pelvic serous cancer, premenopausal risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) in BRCA mutation carriers is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of breast cancer. As the ovaries maintain substantial androgenic function after both natural and chemotherapy-induced menopause, it is plausible that surgical ovarian ablation after menopause may also impact the risk of subsequent breast cancer. Our objective was to determine the effect of postmenopausal RRSO on the incidence of subsequent breast cancer in women with BRCA mutations.