Beware of Breast, Ovarian Cancer Link

Thank you for the recent articles about breast cancer. While very informative, there was no mention of the link between breast cancer and ovarian cancer. It is important that women with a personal or family history of breast cancer know that they are at increased risk for ovarian cancer. Everyone should be aware of their family medical history and share that information with their health care providers.

My mother died of ovarian cancer and my sister is a breast- cancer survivor. After sharing my family history with my doctor, she and I followed a plan of aggressive monitoring that resulted in my being diagnosed with ovarian cancer sooner rather than later. This year, for every 100 women diagnosed with breast cancer, 20 will die. However, for every 100 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer, 60 of these women will die from the disease. Given these deadly statistics, it is imperative that women with a history of breast cancer evaluate their risk for ovarian cancer.

If a woman carried a mutation of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, she is at increased risk for both breast and ovarian cancer. Not only does she need to be followed by her breast care specialist, but should also be evaluated by a gynecologic oncologist (a specialist trained in female reproductive cancers) to discuss her risk and possible risk-reducing strategies such as removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of the gynecologic cancers because there is no reliable screening test and many women and healthcare providers are unaware of the symptoms. Those of us in the breast and ovarian cancer communities must come together to educate women to the signs, symptoms and risk factors of ovarian cancer.

MARIANNE MILLS

VICE PRESIDENT R.O.A.R.!