Fallopian tube removal to prevent ovarian cancer
Official title: Salpingectomy for Ovarian Cancer Risk Reduction: Improving Utilization and Informed Decision-Making
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11191424 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses removal of the fallopian tubes while keeping the ovaries to lower ovarian cancer risk for people having hysterectomy or choosing permanent sterilization.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2022 |
| Project end | September 29, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $367,464 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HS028612-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11191424 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People planning a hysterectomy or permanent sterilization who want to lower ovarian cancer risk while preserving their ovaries.
✕Less likely to help
People with very high genetic risk who are advised to remove their ovaries (for example BRCA carriers) and those not undergoing pelvic surgery are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
If you're having a hysterectomy or choosing permanent sterilization, doctors may be able to remove your fallopian tubes while leaving your ovaries in place to reduce ovarian cancer risk without causing early menopause. The team will study how often and why providers offer this option and how much patients know about it by collecting data from medical records and talking with patients and clinicians. They will develop and test ways to improve counseling and decision-making so people get clear information about benefits and trade-offs. The focus is on increasing appropriate use of salpingectomy while protecting quality of life.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could reduce ovarian cancer risk for many people without causing surgical menopause and its related health harms.
How similar studies have gone: Research shows many ovarian cancers begin in the fallopian tubes and salpingectomy is a promising prevention approach, but efforts to boost its uptake and improve patient decision-making are still relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xu, Xiao — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Xu, Xiao
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Salpingectomy to Cut Ovarian Cancer Risk: Improving Use and Informed Choices
A project at Columbia University aims to help women reduce ovarian cancer risk by removing the fallopian tubes during other surgeries, while keeping the ovaries intact, and to make sure patients and providers understand the benefits and options.
-
Removing fallopian tubes to lower ovarian cancer risk
This study is looking at how removing fallopian tubes can help lower the risk of ovarian cancer and aims to find out why doctors might not suggest this option to patients, while also helping women understand its benefits better.
-
Understanding how octopuses integrate sensory information and make decisions
This study is exploring how octopuses use their arms to grip things by looking closely at their nervous system and movements, which could help us understand their amazing abilities better.
-
NoviGuide for Newborn Care in Pakistan
A small NIH grant to test a pocket-sized decision support tool for nurses and doctors to improve newborn care in Pakistan.
-
Understanding the experience of ovarian cancer after diagnosis to improve survivorship
This NIH grant funds a mixed-methods study to better understand physical and emotional challenges faced by ovarian cancer survivors and how supportive care can help them live better after diagnosis.
-
Understanding how aging and Alzheimer’s affect how people make tough choices
This NIH grant studies how aging and Alzheimer’s risk change how people decide between immediate and delayed rewards and risky options, with the goal of helping older adults stay financially and healthwise safer.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.