PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
I. To determine the prospective incidence of ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer, breast cancer, primary peritoneal cancer, and all cancer among women at increased risk of ovarian cancer, with a special emphasis on women who are known breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA)1/2 mutation carriers.
II. To develop precise point estimates of these cancer rates among women who have undergone risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy and women who have elected screening.
III. To compare the cancer rates between these two groups of women. IV. To better characterize the similarities and differences in cancer risk between BRCA mutation-positive families and BRCA mutation-negative/family history-positive families.
V. To develop preliminary estimates of overall and cancer-specific mortality, stratified by mutation status (BRCA1-positive, BRCA2-positive, BRCA1/2-negative).
OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.
Patients complete the Health Update Questionnaire annually for up to 5 years. The questionnaire focuses specifically on cancer risk, incidence, and mortality. Patients also receive ongoing communication (e.g., periodic newsletters, copies of study-related publications, etc.) to keep them informed regarding study-related research results, new research findings, new research opportunities for which patients may be eligible, and evolving clinical recommendations regarding hereditary breast/ovarian cancer.
