By Kerry Grens, (Reuters Health) - Though it's
been common practice during hysterectomy to remove a woman's ovaries, a new
study suggests there may be benefits in leaving them intact.
Researchers found that women's risk of ovarian
cancer diminished when their ovaries were removed, but their risks of dying from
other, more common causes rose.
Based on the results, "it looks like, if given a
choice, you should keep your ovaries," said Leslie Bernstein, a professor at
City of Hope cancer center, who was not involved in the study.
Tens of thousands of women each year have their
ovaries taken out during a hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the uterus.
The idea is to prevent ovarian cancer, and the
rationale has been that if the woman is finished having children, her ovaries
are of no use and might as well come out while the surgeon is in there.
"If you ask women what they are afraid of, after
breast cancer it is ovarian cancer," said Bernstein. "We do well with (treating)
breast cancer; we do not with ovarian cancer."
About 22,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian
cancer each year in the U.S. and 14,000 die from the disease annually.
Women with certain gene mutations or a strong
family history of ovarian cancer are at heightened risk for the disease.
