Angelina Jolie ovaries removed to cut cancer risk

The announcement in a New York Times column came two years after the rights campaigner and mother of six had a double mastectomy after hearing she had also inherited a high risk of breast cancer.

The actress carries a mutation in the BRCA1 gene meaning she had a 50 per cent chance of developing ovarian cancer, which killed her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, in 2007.

Women have a much greater risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer if they inherit the mutation in the BRCA1 gene – like Jolie – or the BRCA2 gene.

BRCA genes

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are faulty genes linked to ovarian cancer. They are also known to increase the risk of breast cancer.

Having a family history of ovarian cancer, especially if the cancer develops before the age of 50, could mean the faulty genes run in your family. You may be at a high risk of having a faulty gene if you have:

• One relative diagnosed with ovarian cancer at any age and at least two close relatives with breast cancer whose average age is under 60; all of these relatives should be on the same side of your family (either your mother’s or father’s side)
• One relative diagnosed with ovarian cancer at any age and at least one close relative diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 50; both of these relatives should come from the same side of your family
• Two relatives from the same side of the family diagnosed with ovarian cancer at any age

If you are at a higher risk of having a faulty gene, your GP can refer you for tests to check for faulty BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Ovarian Cancer Action has developed a tool to help you check whether your family history puts you at risk of ovarian cancer.

Preventative surgery

If testing suggests you have a high risk of developing ovarian cancer, your doctor may recommend a type of surgery called bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. This is where both of your ovaries as well as your fallopian tubes are surgically removed.

This should significantly reduce your chance of developing ovarian cancer, though it will trigger the menopause if you have not already gone through it. This can cause symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats. Symptoms usually respond well to hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Ovarian cancer

Each time you ovulate, your ovaries are damaged by the egg as it breaks through the surface of the ovary and is released into your reproductive system.

The cells that make up the surface of your ovaries divide and multiply rapidly to repair the damage caused by the egg. It is this rapid cell growth that can occasionally go wrong and result in ovarian cancer.

Anything that stops the process of ovulation can help to minimise your chances of developing ovarian cancer. This includes:

• pregnancy and breastfeeding
• the contraceptive pill
• hysterectomy surgery
• surgery to remove the ovaries

Learn more about ovarian cancer on NHS choices