Bilateral salpingectomy as prevention of ovarian cancer
Keywords:
Prophylactic salpingectomy, ovarian cancer, surgical prevention, high-grade serous carcinoma, gynecological healthAbstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer, especially high-grade serous carcinoma, remains one of the most lethal gynecological neoplasms due to its typically late diagnosis. Recent evidence has shown that this tumor subtype originates predominantly in the fimbriae of the fallopian tubes, which has prompted the proposal of prophylactic salpingectomy as a preventive measure, even in women without known genetic risk factors. Methodology: An analytical review of scientific literature published between 2020 and 2024 was conducted in indexed databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Springer, focusing on observational and cohort studies that evaluated the relationship between prophylactic salpingectomy and a reduced incidence of ovarian cancer. Articles that provided population-based results with statistical support and clinical applicability were included. Results: The reviewed studies agree on a significant reduction in the risk of high-grade serous carcinoma in women undergoing prophylactic salpingectomy, especially when performed in the context of elective gynecological surgeries. Some studies even report a zero incidence of this neoplasia after more than a decade of follow-up. Discussion: Current evidence reinforces the preventive value of salpingectomy, both in BRCA mutation carriers and in average-risk women. The strategy is emerging as a safe and ethically viable surgical approach, with important implications for public health. Conclusion: Based on a critical analysis of the literature, we conclude that this intervention should be considered in elective gynecological surgeries. Its incorporation into preventive surgical protocols could translate into a substantial reduction in the female cancer burden in the coming years, particularly if promoted through primary gynecological care.
Downloads
References
ACOG Committee Opinion No. 774: Opportunistic Salpingectomy as a Strategy for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Prevention. (2019). Obstetrics and gynecology, 133(4), e279–e284. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000003164
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2019). Opportunistic salpingectomy as a strategy for epithelial ovarian cancer prevention (Committee Opinion No. 774). https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2019/04/opportunistic-salpingectomy-as-a-strategy-for-epithelial-ovarian-cancer-prevention
Boerner, T., & Long Roche, K. (2021). Salpingectomy for the Risk Reduction of Ovarian Cancer: Is It Time for a Salpingectomy-alone Approach? Journal of minimally invasive gynecology, 28(3), 403–408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmig.2020.09.020
Cheng, F., Shao, F., Tian, Y. & Chen, S. (2025). Genomic and clinical insights into ovarian cancer: subtype‑specifc alterations and predictors of metastasis and relapse. Discover Oncology, 16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12672-025-02725-7
Fisch, C., Gelderblom, M. E., Hermens, R. P., de Reuver, P. R., Nienhuijs, S. W., Somford, D. M., de Hullu, J. A., & Piek, J. M. (2024). Ovarian cancer risk reduction by salpingectomy during non-gynaecological surgery: scoping review. BJS open, 9(1), zrae161. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsopen/zrae161
Fotopoulou, C., Planchamp, F., Aytulu, T., Chiva, L., Cina, A., Ergönül, Ö., Fagotti, A., Haidopoulos, D., Hasenburg, A., Hughes, C., Knapp, P., Morice, P., Schneider, S., Sehouli, J., Stamatakis, E., Suria, S., Taskiran, C., Trappe, R. U., & Campbell, J. (2021). European Society of Gynaecological Oncology guidelines for the peri-operative management of advanced ovarian cancer patients undergoing debulking surgery. International journal of gynecological cancer: official journal of the International Gynecological Cancer Society, 31(9), 1199–1206. https://doi.org/10.1136/ijgc-2021-002951
Gelderblom, M. E., IntHout, J., Dagovic, L., Hermens, R. P., Piek, J. M., & de Hullu, J. A. (2022). The effect of opportunistic salpingectomy for primary prevention of ovarian cancer on ovarian reserve: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Maturitas, 166, 21–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2022.08.002
Hanley, G. E., Pearce, C. L., Talhouk, A., Kwon, J. S., Finlayson, S. J., McAlpine, J. N., Huntsman, D. G., & Miller, D. (2022). Outcomes From Opportunistic Salpingectomy for Ovarian Cancer Prevention. JAMA network open, 5(2), e2147343. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.47343
Kahn, R. M., Gordhandas, S., Godwin, K., Stone, R. L., Worley, M. J., Lu, K. H., & Long Roche, K. C. (2023). Salpingectomy for the Primary Prevention of Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review. JAMA surgery, 158(11), 1204–1211. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamasurg.2023.4164
Kahn, R. M., Gordhandas, S., Godwin, K., Stone, R. L., Worley, M. J., Jr, Lu, K. H., & Long Roche, K. C. (2023). Salpingectomy for the Primary Prevention of Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review. JAMA surgery, 158(11), 1204–1211. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamasurg.2023.4164
Kather, A., Arefian, H., Schneider, C., Hartmann, M., & Runnebaum, I. B. (2025). Ovarian cancer prevention through opportunistic salpingectomy during abdominal surgeries: A cost-effectiveness modeling study. PLoS medicine, 22(1), e1004514. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004514
Kurman, R. J., & Shih, I. M. (2010). The origin and pathogenesis of epithelial ovarian cancer: a proposed unifying theory. The American Journal of Surgical Pathology, 34(3), 433–443. https://doi.org/10.1097/PAS.0b013e3181cf3d79
Lugo Santiago, N., Smith, E., Cox, M., Wan, C. S., Tchabo, N. E., Awowole, I., Broach, V., & Chi, D. S. (2020). Ovarian Cancer After Prophylactic Salpingectomy in a Patient With Germline BRCA1 Mutation. Obstetrics and gynecology, 135(6), 1270–1274.
Mor-Hadar, D., Wilailak, S., Berek, J., McNally, O. M., & FIGO Committee on Women's Cancer (2024). FIGO position statement on opportunistic salpingectomy as an ovarian cancer prevention strategy. International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, 167(3), 976–980. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.15884
Mundhada, P. V., Bakshi, A. M., Thtipalli, N., & Yelne, S. (2024). Unveiling the Promise: A Comprehensive Review of Salpingectomy as a Vanguard for Ovarian Cancer Prevention. Cureus, 16(1), e53088. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.53088
Otsuka, I. (2021). Mechanisms of High-Grade Serous Carcinogenesis in the Fallopian Tube and Ovary: Current Hypotheses, Etiologic Factors, and Molecular Alterations. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(9), 4409. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22094409
Radu, T., Mar, M., Tudorache, V., & Marginean, C. (2024). The Impact of Opportunistic Salpingectomy on Ovarian Reserve: A Systematic Review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(11), 3296. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13113296
Singh, S., Bhavana, R., Chaudhary, R., & Dhama, V. (2022). Effect of bilateral salpingectomy with hysterectomy on ovarian reserve. Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol, 11(4), 1185-1190. https://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20220902
Tang, Y., Sun, H., Fu, P., Zhou, T., & Liu, R. (2024). Prophylactic salpingectomy as a preventative strategy for ovarian cancer in the general population: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Gynecologic Oncology, 36(1). https://doi.org/10.3802/jgo.2025.36.e8
Taniguchi, F., Wada-Hiraike, O., Hirata, T., Tajima, H., Masuda, H., Kitade, M., Kumakiri, J., Uchiide, I., Saito, J., Kurose, K., Takeshita, T., Harada, T., & Surgical Outcome Research Committee in Japan Society of Gynecologic and Obstetric Endoscopy and Minimally Invasive Therapy (JSGOE) (2018). A nationwide survey on gynecologic endoscopic surgery in Japan, 2014-2016. The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research, 44(11), 2067–2076. https://doi.org/10.1111/jog.13774
Tomasch, G., Lemmerer, M., Oswald, S., Uranitsch, S., Schauer, C., Schütz, A. M., Bliem, B., Berger, A., Lang, P. F. J., Rosanelli, G., Ronaghi, F., Tschmelitsch, J., Lax, S. F., Uranues, S., & Tamussino, K. (2020). Prophylactic salpingectomy for prevention of ovarian cancer at the time of elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The British journal of surgery, 107(5), 519–524. https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.11419
Vintzileos, W., Beer, H., Sunkara, Y., Pruszynski, J. & Lea, J. (2025). Prognostic indicators of recurrence and treatment-free interval in uterine carcinosarcoma. Journal Gynecologic Oncology, 198, 154-160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2024.07.013
Wentzensen, N., Ring, K., Erickson, B. K., Reid, B.,O’Donnell, T., Check, D., Tworoger, S. S., & Choudhury, P. (2025). Ovarian cancer risk prediction: a clinical epidemiology perspective. American Journal of Epidemiology, 194(5), 1182–1191. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwae293
Zadabedini Masouleh, T., Etchegary, H., Hodgkinson, K., Wilson, B. J., & Dawson, L. (2023). Beyond Sterilization: A Comprehensive Review on the Safety and Efficacy of Opportunistic Salpingectomy as a Preventative Strategy for Ovarian Cancer. Current Oncology, 30(12), 10152-10165. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30120739
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Adriana Isabel Lozada-Uñog, Maite Teresa Peñaherrera-Ron
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in Revista UGC agree to the following terms:
1. Copyright
Authors retain unrestricted copyright to their work. Authors grant the journal the right of first publication. To this end, they assign the journal non-exclusive exploitation rights (reproduction, distribution, public communication, and transformation). Authors may enter into additional agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal, provided that acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal is given.
© The authors.
2. License
The articles are published in the journal under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). The terms can be found at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en
This license allows:
- Sharing: Copying and redistributing the material in any medium or format.
- Adapting: Remixing, transforming, and building upon the material.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution: You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if any changes were made. You may do this in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses or sponsors your use.
- NonCommercial: You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
- ShareAlike: If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your creation under the same license as the original work.
There are no additional restrictions. You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
