Ovarian cancer is one of the most dangerous cancers affecting women, largely because it is difficult to detect early and often diagnosed only after it has already spread.
A new large study from Canada now offers powerful hope. Researchers report that a simple prevention strategy, added to routine gynecological surgery, can reduce the risk of the most common and deadly type of ovarian cancer by nearly 80 percent.
The study was published in JAMA Network Open and led by researchers from the University of British Columbia, along with cancer specialists and health systems across British Columbia. It provides the strongest evidence so far that a preventive surgical approach called opportunistic salpingectomy can save lives.
Opportunistic salpingectomy, often shortened to OS, involves removing a person’s fallopian tubes when they are already undergoing another planned gynecological surgery. This might include a hysterectomy or a procedure to permanently prevent pregnancy, commonly known as having one’s tubes tied.
The ovaries are left in place, which is important because they continue to produce hormones that protect bone health, heart health, and overall wellbeing. Because of this, the added procedure causes little to no long-term side effects.
This approach is based on a major shift in scientific understanding. For many years, doctors believed ovarian cancer began in the ovaries.
Research led by Canadian scientists later showed that most cases of the deadliest form of ovarian cancer actually start in the fallopian tubes and then spread to the ovaries. Once this became clear, removing the fallopian tubes during routine surgery emerged as a logical way to prevent cancer before it ever starts.
British Columbia became the first place in the world to offer opportunistic salpingectomy as a standard option in 2010. The idea was developed by a team from UBC, BC Cancer, and Vancouver Coastal Health. Since then, the approach has been quietly adopted into routine care across the province.
The new study set out to answer a critical question: how much does this strategy actually reduce cancer risk? To find out, researchers examined health records for more than 85,000 people who underwent gynecological surgery in British Columbia between 2008 and 2020.
Some of these patients had their fallopian tubes removed, while others had similar surgeries without tube removal.
The results were striking. People who underwent opportunistic salpingectomy were 78 percent less likely to develop serous ovarian cancer, the most common and aggressive subtype of the disease.
In the rare cases where ovarian cancer did develop after the procedure, the cancers appeared to be less biologically aggressive. The findings were supported by pathology data from laboratories around the world, suggesting the results are not limited to one region or health system.
These findings are especially important because ovarian cancer remains extremely difficult to detect early. There is no reliable screening test, and symptoms are often vague or appear late. In Canada alone, about 3,100 people are diagnosed each year, and roughly 2,000 die from the disease. Survival rates remain low largely because treatment begins too late.
Previous research had already shown that opportunistic salpingectomy is safe, does not cause earlier menopause, and is cost-effective for health systems. What this new study adds is clear evidence of how powerful the cancer-prevention effect really is.
Since its introduction, adoption in British Columbia has been high. Around 80 percent of hysterectomies and tubal ligation procedures in the province now include fallopian tube removal. Internationally, medical organizations in more than 20 countries now recommend the approach as part of ovarian cancer prevention.
The researchers believe the impact could be even greater if the strategy is expanded further.
British Columbia has recently extended opportunistic salpingectomy to other abdominal and pelvic surgeries when appropriate, including procedures performed by general and urologic surgeons. Wider adoption could prevent thousands of ovarian cancer cases worldwide each year.
When reviewing the findings, several points stand out. The study is exceptionally strong because it uses real-world population data over many years, rather than small clinical trials. This makes the results highly relevant to everyday medical practice.
However, it is still an observational study, meaning it cannot prove cause and effect with absolute certainty. Even so, the size of the effect and its consistency across multiple data sources make the conclusions compelling.
Overall, this research shows how a small change in surgical practice can lead to a major reduction in cancer risk. Opportunistic salpingectomy does not treat cancer after it appears; it helps prevent it altogether. As this strategy spreads globally, it has the potential to transform ovarian cancer prevention and save countless lives.
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