Balancing Risks: The Impact of Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy Timing on Ovarian Cancer Risk in BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers

Highlight

– Women with BRCA1/2 mutations face significantly elevated lifetime risks of ovarian cancer.
– Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) reduces ovarian cancer risk but the optimal timing varies by mutation type.
– Early BSO is strongly recommended (age 35 for BRCA1, 45 for BRCA2), yet some women delay surgery, increasing residual risk.
– Even at older ages, residual ovarian cancer risk remains sufficiently high to support consideration of preventive BSO in healthy women.

Study Background