Fallopian tube removal performed during other abdominal surgeries could reduce the risk of ovarian cancer incidence among women who have already completed their families, according to a recent study published by Kather et al in PLOS Medicine.
Background
Ovarian cancer is the third most common gynecologic cancer in the world and has a mortality rate of 66%. Some of the most widespread and serious types of ovarian cancers may develop in the fallopian tubes; however, fallopian tube removal may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.
While women at average risk of ovarian cancer are not recommended to undergo salpingectomy, many surgeons offer opportunistic fallopian tube removal during gynecologic surgeries such as hysterectomy or tubal sterilization. Opportunistic removal may also be feasible during other abdominal surgeries, including gallbladder removal. The overall potential benefits of opportunistic salpingectomy have been unclear.
Study Methods and Results
In the study, researchers developed a mathematical model incorporating real-world patient statistics to predict population-level risks of ovarian cancer following opportunistic salpingectomy as well as the potential health-care savings.
After applying the novel model to statistics from Germany, the researchers predicted that opportunistic salpingectomy during every hysterectomy and tubal sterilization could reduce ovarian cancer cases by 5% across the female population of Germany. They suggested that salpingectomy performed during every suitable abdominal surgery among women who were finished having children could reduce nationwide cancer cases by 15% and save more than $10 million in health-care costs annually.
Conclusions
The findings highlighted that opportunistic salpingectomy during appropriate abdominal surgeries could not only lower population-level ovarian cancer risks and prevent ovarian cancer–related mortality, but also provide economic benefits. The researchers hope their research could help inform health policy and insurance costs for the procedure.
“We developed a mathematical model to estimate the likelihood of women undergoing surgeries that offer an opportunity for fallopian tube removal and the potential for reducing their ovarian cancer risk. Applying this model to the entire female population of Germany revealed that 15% of ovarian cancer cases could be prevented if fallopian tubes were removed during every suitable abdominal surgery in women who have completed their families. This approach has the potential to extend healthy years of life and significantly save health-care costs,” concluded the study authors.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit journals.plos.org.
