When Should One Consider A Hysterectomy

My prayers are with those in the midst of this. I am sorry if my question seems unimportant. I have had ovarian cancer in my family. My count just went over the acceptable measure, not by much 37, but my question is, as a 50yr old with no children and not expecting any last minute miracles, should I have a hysterectomy?

 I have a great nurse practitioner and we took another test and then if still high will go for another ultrasound-I took one my mother was diagnosed so I'd have a baseline.

Any advise? Thank you and I'm sorry for taking time fromyour more serious concerns.

Karen

Hello, good question. I have no family history of ovca. I had lots of cyst issues and endometriosis. I opted at 42 to have a TOH because we decided years before that we did not want children. I was very lucky--my cancer was discovered Stage 1.... none of my doctors or I suspected anything. If you get 2nd, 3rd opinions and the option seems like a good prophylactic decision.... you must decide what is best for you. Blessings!

Hi.  Actually this is a very good question for this forum since prevention always beats treatment.

I am assuming you mean your CA125 is 37.  Please know that this test is completely useless as a screening tool.  Ultrasound is not much better.  Research is ongoing and we will likely have a better tool within 2-3 years. For now, neither Ultrasound nor CA125 has saved any lives.  There have been reports here and there of heartwarming outcomes, but that is not the reality of the overwhelming majority of good medical studies published. 

With a family history you should see a genetics counselor who will likely recommend BRCA testing.  As an alternative, find a gynecologic oncologist.

Removing the uterus is not that important.  It is the ovaries that are of concern in your situation. Those can be removed with minimal risk via laparoscopy( minimally invasive surgery).  The uterus is usually an innocent bystander, but you can discuss the risk vs benefit of removing it along with your ovaries once it is clear that you should have the ovaries removed.

No surgery is riskless, so you should have a good solid reason for having any done. You may very well have a good reason, but that is why you should start with a genetics consultation as soon as possible.

Regards.

Dr V  www.gyncancerdoctor.com