Bilateral Oophorectomy, Hysterectomy, and Cancer Risk

African American women are much more likely than white women to undergo hysterectomy and oophorectomy, particularly at younger ages. Based on limited epidemiologic data, bilateral oophorectomy has been associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer but an increased risk of colorectal cancer, lung cancer, cancer mortality, and all-cause mortality. The effect of hysterectomy with retention of one or both ovaries on long-term health outcomes is less clear. The objective of the current study is to assess the relation of bilateral oophorectomy and hysterectomy to incidence of the most common cancers in women (breast, colorectal, and lung) and to cancer mortality and all-cause mortality in the Black Women’s Health Study (BWHS). This will be the first study to examine these hypotheses among African American women.