A Canadian surgical innovation is significantly reducing the risk of the most common and deadly form of ovarian cancer, according to a new study. Researchers have developed a preventative strategy that lowers the risk of developing the disease by nearly 80 percent.
The strategy, known as opportunistic salpingectomy (OS), involves the proactive removal of a person’s fallopian tubes during routine gynecological surgery, such as a hysterectomy or tubal ligation – commonly referred to as “getting tubes tied.” This approach is particularly impactful because research has shown that most ovarian cancers actually originate in the fallopian tubes, not the ovaries.
Importance of the Technique
British Columbia became the first jurisdiction in the world to offer OS in 2010, after a team from the University of British Columbia, BC Cancer, and Vancouver Coastal Health designed the approach. The findings, published today in JAMA Network Open, provide the clearest evidence yet that this Canadian innovation saves lives.
“This study clearly demonstrates that removing the fallopian tubes as an add-on during routine surgery can help prevent the most lethal type of ovarian cancer,” said co-senior author Dr. Gillian Hanley, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UBC. “It shows how this relatively simple change in surgical practice can have a profound and life-saving impact.”
This research is particularly significant as ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological cancer, and early detection remains a major challenge in improving patient outcomes.
New Hope in Facing a Deadly Cancer
Approximately 3,100 Canadians are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, and around 2,000 die from the disease. Currently, there is no reliable screening test for ovarian cancer, meaning most cases are diagnosed at advanced stages when treatment options are limited and survival rates are low.
The new study is the first to quantify the extent to which opportunistic salpingectomy reduces the risk of serous ovarian cancer, the most common and deadly subtype of the disease. Previous research has already established that the procedure is safe, does not delay the onset of menopause, and is cost-effective for healthcare systems.
The study analyzed health data from over 85,000 individuals who underwent gynecological surgeries in British Columbia between 2008, and 2020. Researchers compared ovarian cancer rates between those who underwent salpingectomy and those who had similar surgeries but did not have the procedure.
women who had salpingectomy were 78% less likely to develop serous ovarian cancer. In the rare cases where ovarian cancer did develop after salpingectomy, the tumors were found to be less biologically aggressive. These results were further confirmed by data collected from pathology labs worldwide, which indicated a similar effect.
Globally, medical professional organizations in 24 countries now recommend salpingectomy as a preventative strategy for ovarian cancer, including the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, which issued guidelines in 2015.
