A 55-year-old woman with BRCA1 mutation is counselled regarding risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO). Which additional cancer risk does RRSO most significantly reduce in BRCA1 carriers?
- A Endometrial carcinoma
- B Breast cancer (by approximately 50%) when performed premenopausally ✓
- C Colorectal carcinoma
- D Cervical carcinoma
Correct answer: B. Breast cancer (by approximately 50%) when performed premenopausally
Explanation
RRSO in BRCA1/2 carriers reduces ovarian/fallopian tube cancer risk by >80%. In BRCA1 carriers specifically, RRSO performed before natural menopause also reduces breast cancer risk by approximately 50%, because BRCA1-associated breast cancers are frequently oestrogen-receptor negative and hormonally driven in part by endogenous ovarian oestrogens. Uterine, colorectal, and cervical cancers are not primarily hormonal BRCA-pathway tumors and are not significantly reduced by RRSO.
Reference: Shaw's Textbook of Gynaecology, 17th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.