Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- At high risk for developing ovarian cancer, as defined by any of the following:

- Known inherited BRCA-1 or -2 mutation

- Recognized familial breast/ovarian or ovarian cancer syndrome

- Has at least one first-degree relative with ovarian cancer

- Has a family history of breast cancer meeting 1 of the following criteria:

- More than one relative with breast cancer AND < 50 years of age

- Relative(s) with male breast cancer

- One relative with breast cancer AND < 40 years of age

- Meets 1 of the following criteria:

- Planning to undergo prophylactic oophorectomy AND is willing to receive
flutamide

- Planning to undergo prophylactic oophorectomy AND is not willing to receive
flutamide (control)

- Planning to undergo oophorectomy for a medical indication (control)

- No breast cancer within the past 5 years

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- Granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/µL

- Platelet count ≥ 75,000/µL

- Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL

- Serum bilirubin normal

- AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN

- Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Fertile patients must use effective non-hormonal contraception

- Able to comply with study and follow-up requirements

- No liver disease, including cirrhosis or viral or other hepatitis

- No current alcohol abuse

- No significant traumatic injury within the past 6 months

- No disease, metabolic dysfunction, physical examination findings, or clinical
laboratory findings giving reasonable suspicion of a disease or condition that
contraindicates the continued use of an investigational drug or that may render the
patient at high risk from treatment complication

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- More than 6 months since prior major surgery

- No other concurrent hormonal therapy

- No concurrent participation in another experimental drug study