What can a woman do if she discovers she is a member of a family with 2 or more first degree relatives that have had ovarian cancer?
Because the risk is so high these women should seek advice about undergoing a prophylactic oophorectomy, by age 35 if they have completed their families. This procedure can be done without hysterectomy by video laparoscopy, achieving low morbidity and minimal disruption to the lives of these women. The pelvis and abdomen should be carefully examined and the ovaries submitted for microscopic examination by a pathologist to make sure small ovarian carcinomas are not present. After surgery, these women should be given the option of hormone replacement therapy.
