Sharon Tollin on Research Into Risk-Reducing Surgery

Sharon Tollin, PhD, ARNP-BC, OCN®, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, discusses the unmet need for information regarding patients who have undergone prophylactic risk-reducing surgery (such as mastectomy and removal of tubes and ovaries).

At the ONS Connections Conference 2013, Tollin presented research analyzing women with a BRCA mutation who had no disease — comparing those who had prophylactic risk-reducing surgery to those who had no surgery.

As her study was cross-sectional in nature, Tollin says there is a need to delve into data as it relates to time. Tollin says it would be useful to have more data on both the psychosocial outcomes following surgery as well as other health concerns like bone density, menopausal symptoms, and heart disease.