Women diagnosed with breast cancer who carry particular BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic variants are offered surgery to remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes as this dramatically reduces their risk of ovarian cancer.  Now, Cambridge researchers have shown that this procedure – known as bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) – is associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of early death among these women, without any serious side-effects.

Presented at ESTRO 2025, which gathered a record attendance of 7,908 participants this week in Vienna, Austria, a 10-year study, involving over 4,000 UK patients, confirms that a one-week course of post-surgery radiotherapy is just as safe and effective as the traditional three-week regimen for early-stage breast cancer patients. These long-term results from the FAST-Forward trial, could further reduce the burden on breast cancer patients worldwide, and expand access to life-saving radiotherapy.

Growing concerns about exposure to formaldehyde in personal care products have focused on hair relaxers with recent studies showing a link between use of hair relaxers and increased risk of uterine and breast cancer among Black women. The new study is among the first to demonstrate that formaldehyde-releasing preservatives are present in a wide range of personal care products, including shampoo, lotions, body soap, and even eyelash glue.