A BRCA2 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 fifties with a BRCA2 mutation has about a 3% chance of ovarian cancer. Overall, the risk of developing ovarian cancer at some point in life is between 10 and 20% with a BRCA2 mutation.
To reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, women with a BRCA2 mutation are advised to have their fallopian tubes and ovaries removed. The international recommendation is to do this between 40 and 45 years of age. This surgery then makes the risk of ovarian cancer very small.