Abstract

Options for the prevention of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer include screening, preventive surgery and chemoprevention. Screening studies with magnetic resonance imaging of the breast are promising but the technology is not widespread and MRI is unlikely to be available as a screening tool in the near future. Prophylactic oophorectomy and mastectomy are effective preventive measures and are gaining in acceptance by patients and physicians. Preventive mastectomy is effective against both primary and contralateral breast cancer. Oophorectomy prevents ovarian cancer, and if done prior to menopause, will prevent breast cancer as well. Tamoxifen has been shown to prevent contralateral breast cancers in BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers but is not widely accepted as a means of primary prevention. Oral contraceptives and tubal ligation will reduce the risk of hereditary ovarian cancer and should be considered in women who wish to retain ovarian function.

Highlights

  • Options for the prevention of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer include screening, preventive surgery and chemoprevention

  • One contralateral breast cancer was observed among 146 women who had undergone a contralateral mastectomy, versus 42 expected (p

  • The rationale for the anti-hormonal approach comes from the observation that oophorectomy prevents against breast cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers [12,13,14]

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Options for the prevention of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer include screening, preventive surgery and chemoprevention. Mammography has not been shown to be effective in reducing mortality from high-grade breast cancers in young women. Brekelmans et al followed women at high risk for breast cancer with annual mammography and found that the BRCA carriers were more likely to present with an interval cancer, or with an advanced disease, than a comparable group of non-carriers [18].

Objectives
Results
Conclusion

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.