Tying Fallopian tubes cuts ovarian cancer risk

Canadian researchers have discovered that women who have a high probability of developing ovarian cancer might be able to reduce the risk by having their Fallopian tubes tied. They have shown that tubal ligation surgery is an alternative to the removal of ovaries in young women with mutations in the BRCA1 breast cancer gene, which is also known to increase the risk of ovarian cancer.

The researchers tested the method on 232 Canadian, American and British women who had a history of ovarian cancer. As yet they are not sure exactly how the operation decreases the risk of ovarian cancer, but surmise it may be by interrupting the blood or hormone flow to the ovaries.

They also found that oral contraceptives had a protective effect which added to the effects of the surgery. BRCA1 carriers who had their Fallopian tubes tied had a 60 per cent decreased risk of the cancer. For those who combined the surgery with oral contraceptives the risk decreased by 72 per cent. Dr Steven Narod, of the Sunnybrook and Women's College Hospital in Toronto, said 'obviously, women stop taking oral contraceptives after a tubal ligation. It would be interesting to examine the preventative merits of combining oral contraceptives and tubal ligation.'

Until now, removal of the ovaries, or oophorectomy, has been the method used to decrease risk among these women. The tubal surgery allows women to continue to ovulate, thus avoiding problems associated with early menopause. Dr Narod said 'offering tubal ligation as soon as childbearing is complete is reasonable and can be followed by removal of the ovaries at a later date'.