During September, Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF) urges women to learn more about familial breast-ovarian cancer syndrome.
In the United States, approximately 10 percent of women will develop breast cancer and about two percent of women will develop ovarian cancer sometime in their lifetime. In contrast, women with familial breast-ovarian cancer syndrome have up to a 90 percent lifetime risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer. Familial breast-ovarian cancer syndrome is a common inherited condition that causes 10 percent of all ovarian cancers and 5-10 percent of all breast cancers. Research confirms that there is a link between breast and ovarian cancer. Any woman who has had one of these cancers is at a higher risk for developing the other.
"While these statistics sound alarming," said Dr. Mary Gemignani, Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and GCF member, "there are steps every woman can take to manage this increased risk. First, it is extremely important to know your family history of these cancers. Second, if it is determined that a woman is at increased risk after undergoing genetic testing, she should discuss the various options with her health care provider."