Ovary removal after breast cancer treatment

The procedure is advised in those women whose vaginal smear examination reveals that the ovaries are still producing hormones (estrogen) that are believed capable of stimulating breast tissue. If the ovaries are not functioning, their removal cannot ordinarily be expected to help arrest cancer growth. This is a relatively simple operation. Removal of the ovaries is not associated with a severe interference with the workings of the body as occurs with removal of the adrenal glands or the pituitary. Many surgeons delay doing this procedure until there is evidence that the tumor has spread. It is a kind of secondary, in reserve, therapeutic modality.