Removing ovaries increases overall death risk

Removing a woman's ovaries during a routine hysterectomy increases the risk of coronary heart disease and death, a new study has found.

For decades, removing the ovaries during a hysterectomy has been a common practice to eliminate the possible risk of developing ovarian cancer.

However, a US study of almost 30,000 women found that while women who have their ovaries removed have a decreased risk of contracting ovarian cancer and breast cancer, they have an increased risk of fatal and nonfatal coronary heart disease, lung cancer and death.

Additionally, the risk of ovarian cancer in women who did not have their ovaries removed was also extremely low (34 deaths out of 13,305 women, or 0.26%).

“For the last 35 years, most doctors have been routinely advising women undergoing hysterectomy to have their ovaries removed to prevent ovarian cancer,” the researchers said.

“We believe that such an automatic recommendation is no longer warranted.”

Ovarian cancer accounts for approximately 2% of all cancer cases in women in Ireland, and was responsible for 6% of all causes of cancer death in women in 2005.

The study was published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.

[Posted: Mon 27/04/2009]