[Salpingectomy in ovarian cancer prevention: Evidence behind the hypothesis and surgical implications]

Over the last decade, evidence suggests the fallopian tubes are the origin of most of the high grade ovarian serous carcinomas. This type of carcinoma represents at least 50% of all the cases of epithelial ovarian cancer. Salpingectomy may lower the risk of high grade serous carcinoma. Removing the two fallopian tubes should be considered a strategy for risk reduction in patients who decide tubal sterilization or in patients with hysterectomy for benign disease. There are ongoing protocols that evaluate the ovarian hormonal production impact after prophilactic salpingectomy. In patients with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, salpingo-oophorectomy is recommended usually between 35 to 40 years of age for BRCA 1 and between 40 and 45 years of age for BRCA 2. The oopherectomy done whithin these decades has the consequences and side effects of premature menopause, some physicians have suggested doing a two step procedure: perform a salpingectomy as soon as the patient has decided to have permanent birth control, and doing the ophoorectomy at the onset of menopause. The oncological safety of this approach is still under evaluation and is not recommended outside a protocol.