A growing number of women are making the same choice as Angelina Jolie and having their ovaries and Fallopian tubes removed to lower cancer risk, New York doctors say.
“We do these every week. This is standard of care,” said Dr. Stephanie Blank, a gynecologic oncologist at NYU Langone Medical Center.
“It sounds like it is excessive, but it is not,” she said.
In the past decade, cancer science has changed dramatically. Tests for mutations in the BRCA gene allow women who have a family history of cancer to see whether they carry mutations that dramatically increase cancer risk. Jolie, whose mother, grandmother and aunt died of cancer, has said her test results showed an 87% risk of breast cancer and 50% risk for ovarian cancer.
Those who test positive have several options — including getting regular blood tests and sonograms and taking birth control pills to improve their survival odds. Screening options for ovarian cancer are not as effective as for other cancers, however.
Preventive surgery — which is generally covered by insurance for those who have the faulty BRCA gene — offers the best protection, experts say.
“The problem with ovarian cancer is that we don’t have great prevention strategies other than prophylactic surgery,” said Dr. Elizabeth Poynor, a gynecologic oncologist and pelvic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital.
The decision is personal and can be anguishing, as removing the ovaries prompts early menopause, doctors said.
Some women elect initially to remove their Fallopian tubes only, because science has shown that is where ovarian cancer usually begins, said Dr. Mitchell Maiman, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at Staten Island University Hospital.
Maiman praised Jolie for speaking out — and said her story will encourage others to look into their family cancer history and talk to their doctors.
“When a celebrity is so well-informed, like her, and so open and honest to tell their story, it helps everybody else to become better informed,” Maiman said. epearson@nydailynews.com
