Ovary Removal Increases Lung Cancer Risk

Posted on July 31, 2009 in Health & Medicine, Women's Health

Women who have both ovaries removed virtually eliminate their risk of ovarian cancer, and are less likely to develop breast cancer as well. But scientists recently discovered that ovary removal could increase chances of developing lung cancer, a seemingly unrelated disease.

University of Montreal scientists discovered the link while researching the relationship between hormones in women and lung cancer. The study examined 422 women diagnosed with lung cancer in 1996 and 1997, compared to 577 control subjects. Although the researchers found no link between hormonal factors like menstruation patterns and cancer, women whose menopause had been medically induced were at 1.92 greater risk for developing lung cancer than women who went through natural menopause.

The leading cause of cancer is smoking, but scientists are still determining how other factors increase the impact of carcinogens in tobacco, An earlier study in the May issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology reported that women who had hysterectomies but kept their ovaries lived longer than women whose ovaries had been removed.