Previous pelvic surgery in patients with ovarian cancer

We retrospectively analyzed 291 patients with ovarian cancer treated at our institution between 1961 and 1985. In an attempt to identify those who might have benefited from prophylactic oophorectomy, we analyzed stage, status, previous pelvic surgery, and age at previous surgery. Seventy-one patients had 77 laparotomies before ovarian cancer developed. Of those 71 patients, 16 had stage I cancer, six stage II, 41 stage III, and eight stage IV. Forty-three of these patients had had previous laparotomy after age 36. Of these 43 patients, 28 died of ovarian cancer. Theoretically, 15% of the patients in this study would not have had ovarian cancer and 10% would not have died of ovarian cancer if prophylactic oophorectomy had been carried out at the time of pelvic surgery at age 36 or above.