Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy offers varied protection

Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy may offer dissimilar protection against breast and gynecologic cancers to patients with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.

To determine the efficacy of the procedure for the prevention of breast and BRCA-linked gynecologic cancers, researchers from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York analyzed 1,079 women aged 30 years and older with a deleterious BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. Patients were stratified by mutation type and had at least one ovary.

Follow-up studies were conducted at 11 sites from Nov. 1, 1994 to Dec. 1, 2004. Women chose either risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy or observation.

Researchers conducted a three-year follow-up and found no statistically significant effect in protection against BRCA1-associated breast cancer and BRCA2-associated gynecologic cancer. However, risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy was linked with an 85% reduction in BRCA1-associated gynecologic cancer (HR=0.15; 95% CI, 0.04-0.56) and a 72% reduction in BRCA2-associated breast cancer risk (HR=0.28; 95% CI, 0.08-0.92), according to researchers. – by Stacey L. Adams

J Clin Oncol. 2008;26:1-7.

Anytime a new observation that may change the way one approaches management of care is presented, there is a need for additional data from other databases. While these data are of interest, I do not think this will necessarily change anything at this point. A follow-up of other centers and their experience with this procedure in patients with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations to see if they come up with the same observation should be anticipated.

– Maurie Markman, MD

HemOnc Today Editorial Board member