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Writer Jessica Queller at high risk of ovarian cancer
By David Liu, Ph. D.
Apr 1, 2008 - 2:04:42 PM

TUESDAY APRIL 1, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- This morning, Jessica Queller who authored Gossip Girl, Gilmore Girls, Felicity, One Tree Hill said on National Public Radio that she, 38, single, does not want to undergo surgery to remove the ovaries because she wants to have a baby although she is at high risk of ovarian cancer.  

Queller carries a BRCA gene that renders her more susceptible to breast cancer and ovarian cancer.   Removal of the ovaries would eliminate her odds of having cancer in the organ.   She had already undergone double mastectomies and removed her breasts to prevent the cancer from developing.

What Queller carries is a genetic flaw in her family.   New reports cited Queller as saying that her mother who also carried the faulty gene died a painful death from breast cancer.

It has been well known that women with certain mutated genes are at higher risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer.   However, it is unfortunately unknown how to effectively prevent cancer from developing in the cancer gene carriers other than surgery.

We know one thing for sure is that gene expression that leads to diseases such as cancer is influenced by environmental factors such as lifestyle and diet, meaning that just because you carry a cancer gene does not mean that you have definitely develop the disease.   That is why certain percentage of women who carry the same gene as Jessica Queller does do not have to have breast cancer even if they do not remove their breasts.

Breast cancer does not affect women with BRCA genes only.   Only a small percentage of women in the population carry the faulty genes.   But one in every eight women in the United States is expected to have the disease in their lifetime. So what should we do to minimize our risk for this deadly disease?

At least one thing those who have a BRCA gene can do to reduce their risk of breast cancer is maintain a healthy body weight.  A study indicates that women with a mutation in the gene BRCA1, which predisposes women to breast cancer, should avoid putting weight in early adulthood, especially if they plan to have children.   The study published in the journal Breast Cancer Research found women with a mutation in BRCA1 were 65 percent less likely to develop breast cancer if they lost weight between 18 and 30 years of age.