Background: Women with germ line BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations have a marked increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer compared with the general population, whereas risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) significantly lowers the incidence of these cancers. The objective of this study was to review the clinical and pathological characteristics of a French Canadian population undergoing RRSO. Surgical morbidity was also evaluated.
Materials and methods: From December 1999 to December 2009, all women who underwent RRSO at our institution were identified. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Descriptive statistics, the Fischer exact test, and the Student t test were used for analysis.
Results: During the study period, RRSO was performed on 119 women. Mean age at surgery was 49 years (35-72 years), and 63 patients (53%) were premenopausal. Sixty-two women (52%) had a history of in situ or invasive breast cancer. BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations were present in 34 patients (29%) and 42 patients (35%), respectively, whereas 43 patients (36%) were considered to have an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer, despite a personal genetic test, which was either negative (n = 23) or unknown because the patient declined genetic testing (n = 20). Most patients with a uterus in place had a complementary hysterectomy (65%). Six complications occurred (3 hematomas, 2 cardiac arrhythmias, and 1 cystotomy). In one patient (0.8%), a high-grade stage II ovarian cancer was discovered at the time of surgery. Fallopian tube atypias were identified on final pathology in 8 cases (6.7%). After a median follow-up of 22 months, 4 women (3.4%) developed breast cancer and one woman (0.8%) developed peritoneal cancer.
Conclusions: Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy is highly effective in preventing ovarian, fallopian tube, and breast cancers in a high-risk French Canadian population; and the surgical morbidity is low.