Ovary removal proves beneficial for cancer-prone women

BRCA mutation carriers who opt for surgery survive longer than those forgoing the operation

Surgical removal of the ovaries lessens the risk of death in women carrying a BRCA mutation linked to breast and ovarian cancer, a new study shows. The research also indicates that women undergoing this operation or a mastectomy limit their risk of ovarian or breast cancer, bolstering previous findings that these operations offer long-term protection (SN: 5/25/02, p.