Mastectomy dramatically reduces breast cancer risk among women with BRCA1/2...( Alexandria VA-Two studies from the Abr...)

Alexandria, VA-Two studies from the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania appearing online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) have important implications for women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. The first study shows that bilateral prophylactic mastectomy can reduce breast cancer risk by more than 90% in women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, and may be even more effective when performed concurrently with or following oophorectomy. The second study shows that women undergoing prophylactic oophorectomy (removal of ovaries) can take short-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to combat the associated symptoms of menopause without fear of significantly increasing breast cancer risk.

Although the removal of the breasts and the ovaries does not completely prevent breast and ovarian cancer, researchers strongly recommend that all women with the mutations undergo oophorectomy at the completion of child bearing, based on previous studies showing that this procedure reduces ovarian cancer risk by at least 90%. Results of these studies will be published online at www.jco.org on February 23, 2004 at 6:00 p.m. (ET).

-- Bilateral Mastectomy Significantly Lowers Breast Cancer Risk in High-Risk Women --

The first study to calculate the risk reduction from bilateral mastectomy in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers evaluated 483 women from 11 sites in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and the Netherlands over six years.

Breast cancer was diagnosed in two of the 105 women (1.9%) who had bilateral prophylactic mastectomy, compared to 184 of the 378 (48.7%) who did not undergo the procedure. Mastectomy reduced breast cancer risk by approximately 95% among women with prior or concurrent prophylactic oophorectomy, and by 90% among women with intact ovaries.

"Our study shows that bilateral prophylactic mastectomy markedly reduces the risk of breast cancer in women who are genetically predisposed to
'"/>

Contact: Carrie Housman
housmanc@asco.org
703-519-1423
American Society of Clinical Oncology
23-Feb-2004

Page: 1 2 3
Related biology news :

1. Genetic discovery could dramatically reduce need for liver transplants in children
2. Combination therapy dramatically improves function after spinal cord injury in rats
3. Scientists develop new cloning technique that dramatically shortens the search for genes
4. US ecology dramatically altered by fertilizers and acid rain
5. Phased-out Bt corn variety dramatically cut growth rate of black swallowtail caterpillars
6. Manipulating a single gene dramatically improves regeneration in adult neurons: Finding may lead to new approaches for treating brain and spinal cord damage
7. Increased awareness of stroke symptoms could dramatically reduce stroke disability
8. Report says hot steam dramatically increases ginsengs potency
9. Single amino acid mutation dramatically alters direction of a molecular motor
10. Pneumococcal vaccine reduces ear infections, pneumonia, new study shows
11. Preschool bolsters early childhood immunity, reduces risk of young adult Hodgkins lymphoma