Impact of the coverage of risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy by the national insurance system for women with BRCA pathogenic variants in Japan

Background: To determine the impact of the coverage of risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) and mastectomy (RRM) as well as genetic testing for BRCA pathogenic variants by the national insurance system in Japan. Methods: We compared the clinical background of women who underwent RRSO at our institution before and after its coverage by the national insurance system. Results: Those who underwent RRSO between January 2017 and December 2019 and between April 2020 and March 2022 were classified as Period A and B, respectively. Overall, 134 women underwent RRSO during the study period. In Period A and B, 45 and 89 women underwent RRSO for the study period was 36 and 24 months, respectively. Compared with Period A, the number of women who underwent RRSO per month increased by 3-fold in Period B (p < 0.01). In addition, the number of women who underwent surgery for breast cancer along with RRSO increased in Period B (p < 0.01). Although the number of women who underwent concurrent RRM with RRSO in Period B increased, the difference was not statistically significant. Compared with Period A, the number of women diagnosed with BRCA pathogenic variant increased by 3.9-fold, and the proportion of women who underwent concurrent hysterectomy at the time of RRSO decreased from 66% to 7.9% in Period B (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Owing to the introduction of the national insurance system, the number of women who underwent RRSO and concurrent surgery for breast cancer at the time of RRSO increased in Japan.