To remove my ovaries or not; that's the question⁉️

Ask our Nurses your questions
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Hi, I’ve been diagnosed with very invasive and advanced lobular breast cancer in 2021. I am on 3 monthly Prostap injections and Letrozole only at the moment. The question I have is what are the pros and cons of removing my ovaries? I am very conflicted and not sure what to do…

LBC is not behaving like all the other types of breast cancer and because of it’s unique biology there is not that much research done of where it can become metastatic. It’s usually in the bones and liver but I’ve been reading that LBC is sneaky and can spread to the ovaries and digestive system instead. As my tumor was very big 12.5 cm and spread to the lymph nodes I am really anxious about the cancer coming back…

I know that at the moment I am on Letrozole and that’s suppressing my ovaries but what about in 5 or 10 years time?

Thank you for reading my post :pray:t2:

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Hi mun4o

Thanks for posting on our forum

We hope to be able to respond to you tomorrow.

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Lisa

Ask Our Nurses service co-ordinator

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Hi there, I think it depends whether you are pre or post menopausal as removing your ovaries will put you into surgical menopause if you were not already menopausal. The symptoms of surgical menopause are often much more severe than a natural menopause. I had my ovaries out a few months after my breast cancer treatment as I had an unrelated cyst on one of my ovaries. My oncologist said it would be a good plan to have both ovaries out as it would eliminate any risk of ovarian cancer further down the line. I had already gone through chemical menopause thanks to chemo and when I had my ovaries out, my symptoms did not worsen, which came as a big relief. All my hot flushes calmed down after a year or so and I don’t have any now. Good luck with whatever you decide.

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Hi @hopeful1974 I was 43 when diagnosed not even perimenopause and put straightway in the medically induced menopause. I am having 3 monthly Prostap injections to keep me menopausal as I am on Letrozole for 7 years.

Hope you don’t mind me asking but how long was the recovery? And did you have keyhole surgery?

Many thanks :pray:t2:

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hI mun4o
This may not help you as so long ago but it was a very positive outcome, the descriptions a bit basic then compared to now. In 1969 aged 40, my mum had a mastectomy after finding a lump, the size of a golf ball as she was told then, they did not give measurements as they do now, and she only realised that the lump was big when compared to others when they said theirs was just the size of the nail on their little finger. She then had 4 weeks of radiotherapy (this has also changed as I was told the norm now is one week). The surgeon told her that there was a link between the breast and the ovaries and just in case there was just a pin size of the cancer remaining after the op, then he advised that the ovaries should be removed. Mum had the operation to remove her ovaries but delayed it several months as I, her daughter was having major surgery and she wanted to care for me before having her own surgery. Mum lived until she was 92 and her breast cancer never came back.

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Hi mon40

Thanks for posting.

Making decision about treatment can be difficult. And it understandable you are anxious about the cancer coming back.

As you say lobular breast cancer can behave differently to invasive ductal cancer. It can spread to places like the digestive tract and peritoneum.

We’re not sure if ovary removal (oophorectomy) has been suggested by your treatment team.

It’s the Prostap that’s suppressing or shutting down the ovaries, so you have had a chemically induced menopause. This means you can take letrozole as this, along with the other aromatase inhibitors (AIs), can only be prescribed in women who are post-menopausal.

If you had your ovaries removed, you would stop the Prostap, as the surgery would put you into menopause. You may hear this called a surgical menopause. This procedure involves an operation under general anaesthetic.

Your treatment team can advise you on the benefits and drawbacks of an oophorectomy in your Individual situation. You could also ask them about the potential longer-term plan of treatment.

As we close this thread once we post a reply you may want to connect with @hopeful1974 and other women on a different section of the forums as these remain open.

It may also reassure you to know that when you finish hormone therapy the benefits of having taken it continues. This is sometimes called the carry over effect.

Do call our helpline if you would like to talk this through or have any further questions. The helpline team have time to listen, talk things through and signpost you to additional support and information if necessary. Your call will be confidential, and the number is free from UK landlines and all mobile networks. The number is 0808 800 6000, (Relay UK -prefix 18001).

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Best wishes

Jane

Breast Care Nurse

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As we are unable to monitor for further replies, this thread will now be closed. If you have any additional questions or would like to provide feedback, please start a new thread, call our helpline, email us or request a call back.