A new study shows that the vast majority of high-risk women are not taking tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer, even though tamoxifen is very effective for just this problem.

Content courtesy of my friend at Myriad Mr. Brandon Deck. For more information see their website at http://www.myriadtests.com Lynch Syndrome or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is the most common hereditary colorectal cancer (CRC) syndrome comprising about 3% to 5% of all CRCs. About 1 in 660 to 1 in 2000 individuals have Lynch syndrome making it just about as common as hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome. However Lynch syndrome is even more under diagnosed than hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome.

Should risk-reducing oophorectomy (ovary removal) also include hysterectomy in women who carry the BRCA gene? Gene carriers are known to have an excess risk of ovarian cancer and so many undergo preventative ovarian surgery but what about the uterus? Is there a risk to leaving it behind in carriers of a BRCA gene mutation? This is not a big literature but this must be a question that arises not infrequently.