Ovary removal may increase the risk of colorectal cancer

Medical News
 
The development of colorectal cancer is influenced by hormonal factors, and removal of the ovaries alters a woman's sex hormone levels. Among 195,973 Swedish women who had undergone ovary removal between 1965 and 2011, there was a 30% increase in the rate of colorectal cancer compared with the general population. After accounting for various factors, women who had both ovaries removed had a 2.3-times higher risk of rectal cancer than those who had only one ovary removed.
"Colorectal cancer risk was increased after oophorectomy in both pre- and postmenopausal women. This emphasizes that prophylactic resection of normal ovaries should be reserved for women with a clear indication," said Dr. Josefin Segelman, lead author of the British Journal of Surgery study.

Article: Population-based analysis of colorectal cancer risk after oophorectomy Segelman, J., Lindström, L., Frisell, J. and Lu, Y., British Journal of Surgery, doi: 10.1002/bjs.10143, published online 26 April 2016.