Prophylactic salpingectomy and prophylactic salpingoophorectomy for adnexal high-grade serous epithelial carcinoma: A reappraisal

At present, there is no effective screening of ovarian cancer. Primary prevention may be the only strategy to decrease the mortality from ovarian cancer, not only in women at high risk but also at low risk. Several recent studies have identified the distal fimbriae end of the fallopian tubes as primary precursor of High-grade serous carcinoma. Serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas and occult invasive serous carcinomas have been identified in 2-17% of the fallopian tubes of BRCA1/2 positive women undergoing risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy. Removal of the fallopian tubes with ovarian preservation has been suggested as a reasonable strategy that could reduce the risk of developing ovarian carcinoma in both low and high-risk women. It has been proposed after childbearing in women at high risk to be followed by bilateral oophorectomy at a later date. Bilateral salpingectomy is also suggested for low risk women, at the time of other benign gynaecologic surgery as a primary preventive strategy. Some studies have shown a risk reduction of ovarian cancer in women with bilateral prophylactic salpingectomy. Current research regarding bilateral salpingoophorectomy as primary prevention approach of ovarian cancer is reviewed here. In addition, the potential use of bilateral salpingectomy as prevention approach of ovarian cancer is discussed.