Ovarian cancer is the deadliest cancer of the female reproductive system. Women with an inherited high risk of developing ovarian cancer are therefore advised to have their fallopian tubes and ovaries removed around the age of 40. While this is very effective in preventing ovarian cancer, it also causes early menopause, which can have both short-term and long-term health effects.
This thesis explored different aspects of care for these women. We investigated an alternative approach to preventing ovarian cancer: removing the fallopian tubes first and delaying removal of the ovaries, thereby postponing menopause. Our findings suggest that this new approach has great potential, and that quality of life is better when removal of the ovaries can be delayed. The safety of this approach is still being studied.
About the PhD candidate
Tamar Gootzen (2000) graduated as a medical doctor at Maastricht University in 2023. Afterwards, she started her PhD in Gynecologic Oncology at the Radboudumc. She is currently working as a medical doctor at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Catharina hospital.