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FAQs
Ovarian cancer is actually a bit of a misnomer—a name that is commonly used but is not quite accurate. For many years, doctors believed that this cancer started in the ovaries. But we now know that the most common and deadly type often begins in the fallopian tubes—the narrow channels that connect the ovaries to the uterus. The cancer cells form in the end of the tube that looks like a flower. They then travel on to the ovaries like pollen and spread throughout the abdomen. This is why ovarian cancer was originally thought to come from the ovaries. This discovery has changed how we think about prevention, and it’s one reason why removing the fallopian tubes—when they’re no longer needed for fertility—can reduce the risk of developing ovarian cancer.
People at higher risk include those who have:
- a family history of ovarian cancer
- been tested and told they have changes in certain genes, such as in the BRCA gene
For most people, the chance of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer is 1-2%. This means that 1 to 2 women out of every 100 will develop ovarian cancer. To put this in perspective, this is the same number of women who report having a life-threatening allergic reaction to insect bites.
Some people face a much higher risk of ovarian cancer due to certain gene changes or other risk factors. Talk to your doctor to learn more.
Yes, there are studies that have shown that a bilateral salpingectomy significantly reduces the risk of ovarian cancer.
This procedure can be done at the time of another abdominal surgery such as a hysterectomy or instead of a tubal ligation. Studies include:
A recent Canadian study
- Study Population: Nearly 26,000 women
- Intervention: Bilateral salpingectomy was done at the time of hysterectomy or for a surgical sterilization.
- Results: Bilateral salpingectomy has proved to be effective in reducing the risk of ovarian cancer.
A population-based Swedish study
- Study Population: 251,465 women
- Intervention: Salpingectomy was done at the same time as abdominal surgery. The procedures included sterilization, hysterectomy, and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries).
- Results: Women who had a complete bilateral salpingectomy (both fallopian tubes removed) had a 65% reduction in ovarian cancer risk compared to women who did not have both fallopian tubes removed.
**A research summary that combined information from 3 studies found **
- Study Population: Women who had a hysterectomy
- Intervention: Hysterectomy for a non-cancerous condition:
- with complete removal of the fallopian tubes.
- without complete removal of the fallopian tubes.
- Results: Women who had bilateral salpingectomy at the time of hysterectomy had a lower risk of ovarian cancer compared with women who did not have a salpingectomy.
Bilateral salpingectomy may be right for you if you are planning to have surgery on your abdomen or pelvis and you are sure you do not want future pregnancy. Please talk to your doctor about your unique risks for ovarian cancer.
You are a candidate if you:
- do not have a hereditary risk of ovarian cancer due to BRCA or other genetic changes.
- want permanent birth control with the benefit of reducing the risk of ovarian cancer.
- are having surgery in the abdomen or pelvis
Patients with a family history of ovarian cancer should talk to their doctor
about genetic testing and counseling. This is an important factor in determining your prevention strategy.
Key things to think about if you are considering a bilateral salpingectomy
Family planning/fertility status: Some women do not want to have children, do not want more children, or cannot have children in the usual way.
For these women, there is a surgery called salpingectomy that they might want to know about.
Salpingectomy is an alternative to tubal ligation and other permanent birth control methods. Salpingectomy can be done at the same time as hysterectomy. Tubal ligation and hysterectomy permanently prevent pregnancy, but they leave the fallopian tubes in the body. The fallopian tube is where the cancer called high grade serous cancer — commonly mistaken as ovarian cancer — commonly starts. Women can still get pregnant through in vitro fertilization (IVF) if they have had a salpingectomy.
Having other surgeries/procedures: Women who do not need/want their fallopian tubes for future pregnancy and who are planning other OB/GYN, pelvic, or abdominal surgeries should consider discussing salpingectomy with their doctor. Adding a salpingectomy to an already scheduled procedure adds only about 10 minutes of time to the overall surgery and typically no additional risks.
Age: Salpingectomy is highly effective at preventing the type of cancer that has commonly been mistaken as ovarian cancer. It is an option at any age as long as a person does not need/want their fallopian tubes for future pregnancy. The average age of diagnosis with ovarian cancer is 63, so it’s important to remove its source — the fallopian tubes — well before that. A recent study showed that fallopian tube removal for ovarian cancer prevention may be most effective when done before age 50.
Risk: Salpingectomy may be a good choice for women who do not have a high risk for ovarian cancer.
Some women have a higher risk because of a gene change called BRCA. These women have a 1 in 5 or even 1 in 2 chance of getting ovarian cancer in their lifetime.
Right now, doctors recommend that high-risk women have both their fallopian tubes and ovaries removed to lower their cancer risk. This surgery is called salpingectomy and oophorectomy (removal of both fallopian tubes and both ovaries). In the future, we may learn it is safe for high-risk women to have only their fallopian tubes removed, like women with lower risk.
Bilateral salpingectomy may be done for an ectopic pregnancy. This is (when a fertilized egg grows outside of the uterus). An ectopic pregnancy that happens in a fallopian tube cannot grow into a baby. This may cause the tube to rupture or burst.
Speak with your doctor if you have a genetic change (such as BRCA) or have been told you are at high risk for developing ovarian cancer. Salpingectomy may not be enough to reduce your risk. People with certain genetic changes, such as BRCA, are considered to be at high risk for ovarian cancer. For these people, salpingo-oophorectomy is still the recommended way to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. Salpingo-oophorectomy is the removal of the fallopian tubes (salpingectomy) and ovaries (oophorectomy).
Bilateral salpingectomy can be an opportunity to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer for women not at high risk, who are having another abdominal or pelvic surgery, and no longer plan to become pregnant.
You can expect:
- A reduced risk of ovarian cancer
- Permanent birth control—pregnancy after removal of both fallopian tubes is only possible with in vitro fertilization (IVF)
- Your ovaries will continue to produce hormones
Most research has shown that having your fallopian tubes removed will not cause earlier onset of menopause. This is because the ovaries are left in place.
Every surgery has some risk. Less than 4% of patients who have bilateral salpingectomy experience the following complications:
- Bleeding
- Hernia
- Side effects of anesthesia
- Infection
- Scar tissue
- Chronic (ongoing) pain
- Unintended injury to organs in the abdomen
A bilateral salpingectomy done at the same time as another abdominal surgery does not add to recovery time.
Choosing a bilateral salpingectomy instead of a tubal ligation does not change the recovery time. The time to recover stays around one to two weeks.
Bilateral salpingectomy is more effective in decreasing the risk ovarian cancer of pregnancy and compared to tubal ligation (tubes tied).
Surgeons include OB/GYN surgeons (who can perform hysterectomy or sterilization) as well as some non-OB/GYN surgeons like urologists, colorectal surgeons and others.
Surgeons include Ob-Gyn surgeons (who can perform hysterectomy or sterilization) as well as some non-Ob-Gyn surgeons like urologists, colorectal surgeons and others.
Go to our Patient Resources section for the latest news in ovarian cancer and bilateral salpingectomy.