A BRCA1 mutation is a change in DNA (the genetic material). BRCA is short for "BReast CAncer". This mutation puts you at a greater risk for breast and ovarian cancer. The risk of ovarian cancer is very small at a young age but increases as you get older. For example, a woman in her thirties with a BRCA1 mutation has about a 1% chance of ovarian cancer, and if she is 50, about a 10% chance. Overall, the risk of developing ovarian cancer at some point in life is between 35 and 45% with a BRCA1 mutation.
To reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, women with a BRCA1 mutation are advised to have their fallopian tubes and ovaries removed. The international recommendation is to do this between 35 and 40 years of age. This surgery then makes the risk of ovarian cancer very small.