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Joyce F. Liu, MD, MPH
Joyce F. Liu, MD, MPH
Posted: Friday, February 6, 2026
As reported in JAMA by Jurgen M. Piek, MD, PhD, of Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and colleagues, the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) has developed consensus statements on opportunistic salpingectomy for the prevention of tubo-ovarian carcinoma. Their review concluded that the procedure is significantly associated with a reduced risk of developing the disease.
“Clinicians should include this prevention intervention in preoperative counseling of eligible women,” the investigators remarked.
An international working group of 14 members, including a patient representative, was convened to develop consensus statements on opportunistic salpingectomy. The group conducted a MEDLINE literature review of English-language studies published from January 1, 2000, through March 1, 2025, focusing on the impact of the procedure on tubo-ovarian carcinoma risk, complication rates, additional surgical time, and ovarian function. Statements were drafted collaboratively from the evidence and refined through iterative conference-call discussions with opportunities for anonymous and nonanonymous feedback. Each statement was then voted on anonymously using a binary agree/disagree format, and those with more than 75% agreement were included in the final consensus.
The literature review identified 230 studies, of which 129 were deemed relevant to developing the consensus statements. Ultimately, the group achieved consensus on 18 statements, with grades of recommendation ranging from B to D and levels of evidence from II to V.
Opportunistic salpingectomy was found to be significantly associated with a reduced risk of subsequent tubo-ovarian carcinoma and showed no adverse short-term impact on ovarian function. Across different surgical approaches, the procedure appeared to be safe and required little additional operative time. Existing data did not show harm to ovarian function or premature menopause, though evidence from longer-term follow-up is not yet available. The investigators reported that salpingectomy is feasible during both gynecologic and nongynecologic procedures and recommended considering it for women undergoing gynecologic surgery and, when possible, for those having selected nongynecologic pelvic or abdominal surgeries.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit jamanetwork.com.
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