Traditionally, treatment of ovarian cancer involves removal of both ovaries and the uterus, which puts younger women into menopause and ends their chances of bearing a child. But a study published Monday in the journal Cancer, by researchers at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, showed that five-year survival rates for stage 1 ovarian cancer patients were the same for women who had both ovaries removed and women who had just the cancerous ovary removed. The five-year survival rates were also similar among women who had the uterus removed compared to those who didn't. 'If the woman is young, pre-menopausal and is considering future childbearing, she does not need a hysterectomy and she does not to be completely castrated,' said Dr. Beth Y. Karlan, director of the Women's Cancer Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Karlan was not involved in the research. 'It is safe to do a conservation procedure and still affect cure and allow the woman to appreciate her life goals. We're seeing more women cured of ovarian cancer. With stage 1, cure is a very realistic goal.' Ovarian cancer, the fifth-leading cause of cancer deaths in women, occurs most often in post-menopausal women and is often detected only after it's advanced. However, up to 17 percent of ovarian cancers occur in women age 40 or younger. With rates of the disease in this age group believed to be increasing, more attention is being paid to options to preserve fertility in younger women. Freezing eggs or embryos before the removal of the ovaries is one avenue for women who want to preserve the option of having children. However, removal of the ovaries and uterus is unappealing for reasons other than fertility, said Dr. Jason Wright, the lead author of the study and an assistant professor of women's health. The loss of hormones produced by these organs can increase a woman's chances of developing some other diseases and diminish quality of life. 'If the other ovary is preserved, that essentially means women don't go through the menopause,' he said. 'They don't experience hot flashes, vaginal dryness, osteoporosis. There is additional data that women who undergo the removal of their ovaries before age 55 are also at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, earlier death and dementia.' It's not clear yet if pre-menopausal women who have completed child-bearing would benefit from organ-preserving surgery for early-stage ovarian cancer. 'Even if people have completed childbearing, there are some hormonal benefits for maintaining the ovaries. So this is something to consider in women 40 to 50,' Wright said. 'For post-menopausal women, the risks may outweigh the benefits.' Other research on fertility-preserving surgery shows that most of the women can become pregnant safely, even after completing chemotherapy. In the study, a retrospective look at women diagnosed between 1988 and 2004, 36 percent of the 1,186 patients had one ovary conserved. Further studies, such as a randomized, controlled trial, are needed to test whether the procedure should be recommended to all young women with early-stage ovarian cancer, Wright said. But for now, he said, it's a 'reasonable' option that doctors should discuss with their patients. 'It is important to ensure they are stage 1,' Karlan added. 'Part of that includes sampling the lymph nodes and making sure the cancer hasn't spread to the nodes or upper abdomen.' Wright also reported earlier this year that removing the ovaries had no effect on five-year survival rates of early-stage endometrial cancer in women age 45 and younger. 