3462 Ladies, hang on to your ovaries!

Tara Parker-Pope (just love that name*) writes the science/health column for WSJ, and on Feb. 6 she covered the unfounded belief by some doctors and surgeons that women don't need their ovaries after a hysterectomy. Although a prophylactic oophorectomy will eliminate the threat of ovarian cancer (not a huge risk, but awfully hard to detect) and might slightly reduce breast cancer and stroke, it prematurely ages a woman putting her at high risk for heart attack and hip fractures unless she takes hormone supplements. Two different studies were reported (obliquely) by Ms. Parker-Pope. So I have taken my valuable blogging time to find the journals; Lancet Oncology 2006; 7:821-828, Oct. 1, 2006 (Mayo Clinic study, free registration to read the article) and Obstetics and Gynecology, 2005;106:219-226
(a good abstract and summary).

It's awfully irritating to be at the library reference desk when a patron brings in an article torn from the newspaper and the journalist hasn't cited anything except "in today's Journal," or "last week's Lancet." They have to read the research (I hope) to describe it; would it be so hard to cite it correctly?

*

Tara Parker Pope--
such a lovely name;
sing it, play it,
hang it on a rope.

Tara Parker Pope--
she of Wall Street fame;
read her, write her,
She will help you cope.