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Patient guide
Hormone Therapy After Ovary Removal: The Complete BRCA1/BRCA2 Patient Guide
The guide calls the surgery rrBSO: removal of both ovaries and both fallopian tubes to lower cancer risk. It uses MHT for menopausal hormone therapy, meaning estrogen, progesterone or testosterone taken to replace what the ovaries made.
- $25 in the CHOICES Library
- Included in All Access
Who this is for
For women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation who have had, or are planning, surgery to remove their ovaries and fallopian tubes.
It is written for women who have not had breast cancer.
Clinician? Read the clinician version →
Opens the CHOICES newsletter on Substack: MHT for Women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutations: The Complete CHOICES Clinician Guide.
What this guide says
The short version, taken from the guide itself.
- Before about age 51, this surgery brings on menopause right away, with real costs to bones, heart, brain, sleep and sex life.
- Hormone therapy is how you keep the surgery’s benefit without paying that price. The guide says estrogen on its own does not raise breast cancer risk.
- Progesterone is the harder question if you still have your uterus, and the guide says to discuss it before surgery.
What it does not say
- It is not a prescription. Choices depend on your gene, age and uterus, so it gives you worksheets and questions to bring to your clinician.
- It says no trials have studied the long-term effects of hormone therapy specifically in BRCA carriers after this surgery.
One question to bring to your doctor
“What would make the next decision feel right for me?”
A short sample
“Removing ovaries is often a justified life-saving decision. But hormone replacement is how you keep that benefit without paying a second, life-altering price. You deserve a conversation. This guide exists to facilitate just that.”
From the free Substack post that introduces the guide.
How to get it
- $25 in the CHOICES Library
- Included in All Access
You’ll go to the CHOICES Library, our online store, to buy. It is one payment of $25, nothing renews, and there is a 7-day money-back guarantee.
Buy for $25 →In All Access? You’ll go to the CHOICES newsletter on Substack to read and download. Paid subscribers get the short Essentials guide instead.
Read it on Substack →Want the short version first? See the BRCA Patient Essentials Guide →
Not sure which plan? Compare plans
CHOICES is educational only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or a substitute for individualized care from your own clinician. Talk with your own healthcare professionals before making treatment decisions.
CHOICES by Dr. Bosserman™
