What do these choices mean for me?
You can choose to:
- Have the operation at some point in future that’s right for you
- Not have the operation
- Wait to decide later.
This page shows some frequently asked questions about the choices, with short answers to help you compare them.
You can read more about each choice on the next page if you want to.
If you choose to have the operation at some point in future that's right for you |
If you choose not to have the operation |
If you choose to wait to decide |
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|---|---|---|---|
| How would this affect my chance of getting cancer? | Would lower your chance of getting womb, ovarian, fallopian tube and cervical cancer as much as possible. If the cervix is removed, you would no longer need the 'smear test' for cervical screening. |
You would have a higher chance of getting womb and possibly ovarian/fallopian tube cancer due to Lynch syndrome. Your chance is also affected by a few other things, such as age and if you are overweight. |
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| How easy would cancer be to treat, if I did get it? | You would not be expected to get womb, ovarian, fallopian tube or cervical cancer after the operation. | Ovarian and fallopian tube cancer can be treatable if it’s found early enough. Unfortunately, even when cancer is treated, there’s sometimes a chance that the cancer could spread or come back. It can be more difficult to detect ovarian and fallopian tube cancer in the early stages because there is no proven screening programme. Womb cancer can be easier to detect as there is often abnormal bleeding. If you want to read more about treating womb cancer, click here If you want to read more about treating ovarian and fallopian tube cancer, click here |
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| How might this make me feel about my chance of getting cancer? | Having the operation may remove your worry about getting these cancers. | You may feel worried about the chance of getting womb, ovarian, fallopian tube or cervical cancer. | |
| Could I still become pregnant? | You could no longer become pregnant. | It could still be possible to become pregnant. | |
| Would it cause menopause? | Removing the ovaries would cause menopause, if it hasn’t happened naturally already. You would no longer have periods. You may have some side effects of the menopause. However Hormone Replacement Therapy - HRT is recommended if you have your ovaries removed before the natural menopause. You can read more about this on the next page. |
Would not bring on menopause, although this usually happens naturally around 45-55 years old. | |
| How long would I need to recover from the operation? | You will probably need 1 to 5 days in hospital. It usually takes about 6 to 8 weeks to recover from the operation but it depends on your age, health and exactly which kind of operation you have. During this time, you may be more tired than usual, and should rest as much as possible and not lift anything heavy, such as bags of shopping. |
Not applicable. | |
| What are the chances of having other health problems? | Any operation has a small chance of complications. If you want to read more, click here | Not applicable.Everyone with a womb and ovaries has a chance of some health problems, not related to cancer. These include fibroids and ovarian cysts. | |
| How is the operation performed? | If you want to read more about what the operation involves, you can click here. | Not applicable. | |
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