Malignancies following bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO)

Area of Science:

• Gynecologic Oncology
• Cancer Epidemiology
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• Prophylactic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) reduces ovarian cancer risk in susceptible women.
• Primary peritoneal carcinomatosis (PPC) can occur post-BSO, but rates after non-risk-reducing BSO are not well-documented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of PPC following non-risk-reducing BSO.
• To evaluate the rates of other cancers, specifically breast cancer, after BSO in an average-risk population.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study analyzing 4128 women who underwent BSO for non-cancer indications between 1984 and 2000.
• Data linkage with the Israel National Cancer Registry for cancer diagnoses up to 2001.

Main Results:

• 147 cancers (3.6%) diagnosed after a mean follow-up of 7.2 years.
• One case of PPC observed, compared to an expected 0.15 cases.
• Breast cancer incidence was lower than expected (SIR 0.71).

Conclusions:

• The risk of post-oophorectomy PPC in an average-risk population is low.
• BSO may be associated with a reduced incidence of breast cancer in average-risk women.