Risk reduction surgery has been promoted as a means of avoiding ovarian cancer. Most studies have concentrated on removal of fallopian tubes for women who are at high risk, especially those who carry the BRCA or Lynch mutation. Some centres have extended this for all women and suggested that additional surgery, to remove the fallopian tubes, be added to other abdominal surgical procedures. Any extra intervention will increase operative risk.
This prospective study of 142 non-BRCA women at low risk, looks at the surgical specimen, and compares the evidence, of pre-cancer change with a similar control group of 388 women, who had the same surgery for risk reduction, in the presence of a hazardous mutation.
Results from the study show similar rates of normal appearance at about 95%. No evidence of pre-cancer change was found in non BRCA women whereas 3% of specimen removed from BRCA +ve women did show abnormality which might lead to subsequent ovarian cancer.
The author states that the number of cases suggest that the procedure is commonly being performed on low-risk women, and that though the benefit is yet to be established the potential for harm is great.