Submitted by sjc313 on Fri, 06/06/2025 - 08:40
Antonis Antoniou and Hend Hassan, Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Primary Care
Carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 pathogenic variants (PV) are at elevated risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. To mitigate ovarian cancer risk, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) is commonly recommended for unaffected carriers and those with personal breast cancer history. Assessing BSO’s long-term health outcomes in carriers with prior breast cancer history is essential, given their distinct baseline characteristics and potential confounders.
This is the first study to use novel population-scale electronic health records and genetic testing data to assess the associations between BSO and long-term outcomes, in a cohort of 3,423 BRCA1 and BRCA2 PV carriers with personal history of breast cancer. It also uniquely examines BSO uptake in a population-based cohort. BSO was associated with reduced risk of all-cause mortality, breast cancer specific mortality and second non-breast cancers, with no evidence of increased risk for other long-term outcomes. BSO uptake was significantly lower among Black, Asian women and those in the most socioeconomically deprived areas.
This evidence will be critical for counselling and supporting informed decision-making among BRCA1 and BRCA2 PV carriers diagnosed with breast cancer. It is derived from risk assessments conducted specifically within the same population, whose risk/benefit profile differs from that of the general population.
Link to study: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(25)00156-1/fulltext