Tubal ligation and salpingectomy and the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer and borderline ovarian tumors: a nationwide case-control study

C Madsen, Louise Baandrup, Christian Dehlendorff, Susanne K Kjaer

    99 Citations (Scopus)
    207 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    OBJECTIVE: According to the recent theories on the ovarian cancer origin, any protective effect of tubal ligation may vary with histologic subtype of ovarian cancer. Furthermore, bilateral salpingectomy may represent an opportunity for surgical prevention of serous ovarian cancer.

    DESIGN: Nationwide register-based case-control study.

    SETTING: Denmark during 1982-2011.

    POPULATION: Cases were all Danish women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer (n = 13 241) or borderline ovarian tumor (n = 3605) in the study period. Age-matched female population controls were randomly selected by risk set sampling. We required that cases and controls have no previous cancer and that controls have no previous bilateral oophorectomy.

    METHODS: Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals, adjusting for potential confounders.

    MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Epithelial ovarian cancer and borderline ovarian tumors stratified according to histology.

    RESULTS: Tubal ligation reduced overall epithelial ovarian cancer risk (odds ratios 0.87; 95% confidence interval 0.78-0.98). We observed significant risk variation according to histology (p = 0.003) with the strongest risk reductions associated with endometrioid cancer (odds ratios 0.66; 95% confidence interval 0.47-0.93) and epithelial ovarian cancer of "other" histology (odds ratios 0.60; 95% confidence interval 0.43-0.83). Tubal ligation was not associated with risk of borderline ovarian tumors. Finally, bilateral salpingectomy reduced epithelial ovarian cancer risk by 42% (odds ratios 0.58; 95% confidence interval 0.36-0.95).

    CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed that tubal ligation reduces the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer and particularly endometrioid cancer. To our knowledge, this is the first observational publication to report on salpingectomy and ovarian cancer risk and our promising findings warrant further investigation.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalActa Obstetrica et Gynecologica
    Volume94
    Issue number1
    Pages (from-to)86-94
    Number of pages9
    ISSN1600-0412
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2015

    Keywords

    • Adult
    • Age Distribution
    • Aged
    • Aged, 80 and over
    • Case-Control Studies
    • Confidence Intervals
    • Denmark
    • Female
    • Humans
    • Incidence
    • Logistic Models
    • Middle Aged
    • Neoplasm Invasiveness
    • Neoplasm Staging
    • Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial
    • Odds Ratio
    • Ovarian Neoplasms
    • Registries
    • Risk Reduction Behavior
    • Salpingectomy
    • Sterilization, Tubal

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Tubal ligation and salpingectomy and the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer and borderline ovarian tumors: a nationwide case-control study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this