Risk of Ovarian Cancer After Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer
Posted: Tuesday, March 5, 2019
According to a report published in Urology, the risk of ovarian cancer after radical cystectomy in women with bladder cancer is rare. The current American Urological Association guidelines recommend the removal of ovaries during bladder surgery to prevent ovarian cancer. However the study findings suggest a negligible risk of ovarian cancer and that oophorectomy may unnecessarily increase the risks of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, cognitive impairment, and diminished sexual function.
“Guidelines describing a standard [radical cystectomy] should exclude the removal of ovaries with an individualized approach in which there is an open and informed discussion of the risks and benefits prior to [radical cystectomy],” Sanjay G. Patel, MD, of The University of Oklahoma, Norman, and colleagues noted.
Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, the authors analyzed over 1,800 women diagnosed with bladder cancer who underwent radical cystectomy between 1998 and 2010. Then, using the SEER multiple primaries dataset, the authors identified patients with concurrent or subsequent ovarian cancer.
Of the eligible patient population, 221 women (11.9%) developed a nonbladder malignancy. Of them, 2 patients (0.11%) were subsequently diagnosed with ovarian cancer. According to the study authors, the health benefits associated with ovarian preservation, even among postmenopausal women, should be more strongly considered among patients and clinicians.
“However, more rigorously designed studies are needed to precisely gauge the risks of ovarian conservation in the population of women undergoing [radical cystectomy] for bladder cancer,” the authors concluded.
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
