While ovarian cancer is relatively rare, it is the fifth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. It is a stealthy disease, with no proven screening tests to help with early detection and no noticeable symptoms until its later stages when the cancer is harder to treat. That’s why the Sarasota Memorial Research Institute is among 318 research sites across the nation participating in a clinical trial aimed at preventing ovarian cancer in women at high risk for the disease. Known as the SOROCk trial, the study will assess whether removing the fallopian tubes (bilateral salpingectomy) reduces the risk of ovarian cancer among premenopausal women with inherited BRCA1 mutations as effectively as removing both the ovaries and fallopian tubes (bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy). The current standard of care is to remove both the ovaries and fallopian tubes at the same time, which is highly effective but comes with significant side effects and long-term problems. Over the next 10 years, researchers will collect data from more than 2,000 premenopausal women (age 35-50) with the BRCA1 mutation, comparing clinical outcomes of those who opt to remove their fallopian tubes and ovaries with those who choose to remove only their fallopian tubes. Women who choose the latter can opt to remove their ovaries later and still be part of the trial. The study excludes women who are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or have a prior history of ovarian cancer. For more information about the SOROCk trial or other clinical trials, contact the Sarasota Memorial Research Institute at (941) 917-2225.