Carriers of the BRCA1 gene, like Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, can reduce their risk of death once they have been diagnosed with breast cancer by having their ovaries removed . Women diagnosed with breast cancer caused by the gene carried by Angelina Jolie could be helped to beat the disease if they have their ovaries removed as she did. A study indicates that following the example of the Hollywood star cuts their risk of dying from breast cancer by more than 60 per cent. Miss Jolie, 39, had the procedure, known as an oophorectomy, in March. Two years before, she had a double mastectomy as she carries the BRCA1 gene variant which dramatically raises the risk of developing both breast and ovarian cancer. Women who carry a mutated version of BRCA1 or another gene known as BRCA2 face a life-time risk of breast cancer of up to 70 per cent. If diagnosed, they face a severe threat of ovarian tumours. The researchers in Canada analysed 676 breast cancer patients who had one of the mutated genes, Nearly half (345) underwent oophorectomy after their diagnosis. The study found the 20-year survival rate for the entire group was 77.4 per cent. Having an oophorectomy was associated with a significant drop of 62 per cent in breast cancer death in women with a BRCA1 mutation, But this did not occur in those with a BRCA2 mutation. There were nine deaths from ovarian cancer in the women who did not have oophorectomies. The scientists found a 65 per cent reduction in death from all causes associated with oophorectomy. According to the study, oophorectomies were performed an average of six years after breast cancer diagnosis. For the 70 BRCA1 carriers who had their ovaries removed within two years, there was a 73 per cent reduction in death compared with women with the mutation who never underwent the procedure. The authors, writing in the journal JAMA Oncology, said that the protective effect of oophorectomy against breast cancer was apparent immediately after diagnosis and lasted for 15 years. Dr Steven Narod, of the Women’s College Research Institute, Toronto, called for follow-up studies on women who undergo oophorectomy as part of their initial treatment, in particular, those who had the surgery within a year of finding out they have breast cancer. He added that more research was needed, especially on carriers of the BRCA2 variant. Journal editor Dr Mary Disis said the results were ‘compelling and suggest the potential of oophorectomy should become part of the treatment discussion at the time of diagnosis for BRCA mutation carriers with early stage breast cancers’. She added: ‘The results provide a validation of oophorectomy in coveying both a disease-free and overall survival benefit for BRCA1 carriers. ‘In the entire group, oophorectomy was particularly effective for survival benefit in women with oestrogen-receptor negative breast cancer.’ Those women diagnosed with the BRCA1 gene mutation have a 50 to 80 per cent risk of developing breast cancer, pictured, in their lifetime . Women with a significant family history of breast cancer may have an increased risk of getting the disease. A significant family history is defined by: . Women who inherit the faulty, or mutated, BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes have a 50 to 80 per cent chance of developing breast cancer during their lifetime. Genetic tests are available to women who are likely to have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, or faults in two other genes called TP53 and PTEN. BRCA gene faults are more common in the Ashkenazi Jewish population, about 2.3 per cent of Ashkenazi Jewish women have a BRCA gene mutation. Source: Breast Cancer Campaign . This type of the disease affects about one in four women diagnosed with breast cancer. It is an especially aggressive form which is often resilient to drug treatment and requires intensive chemotherapy. Other studies of the gene mutation carriers have found that reduced mortality is associated with ovary removal for women with a history of breast cancer. Speaking about her decision to have the procedure Miss Jolie, who has six children, said that having her ovaries removed did not make her feel any less womanly. In an article for the New York Times, she wrote: ‘I feel feminine, and grounded in the choices I am making for myself and my family.’
Carriers of BRCA1 gene mutation who are diagnosed with breast cancer are less likely to die if they have their ovaries removed, study found.
But the theory does not apply for those with BRCA2 gene mutation.
Having the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes increase risk of breast cancer by 70%.
Experts said benefits of having ovaries removed lasted for up to 15 years.