Cancer of the Fallopian Tubes
The fallopian tubes lead from the ovaries to the uterus. Less than 1% of gynecologic cancers are fallopian tube cancers. Most often, cancer that affects the fallopian tubes is cancer that has spread from the ovaries rather than started in the fallopian tubes. Fallopian tube cancer usually affects women aged 50 to 60. Occasionally, it appears to be associated with having been infertile.
More than 95% of fallopian tube cancers are adenocarcinomas, which develop from gland cells. A few are sarcomas, which develop from connective tissue. Fallopian tube cancer spreads in much the same way as ovarian cancer.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Symptoms include vague abdominal discomfort, bloating, and pain in the pelvic area or abdomen. Some women have a watery or blood-tinged discharge from the vagina. Usually, an enlarged mass is found in the pelvis.
The diagnosis is made by viewing the fallopian tubes and surrounding tissues through a thin viewing tube (laparoscope) inserted through a small incision just below the navel or by performing surgery to remove the mass. Biopsies of the surrounding tissues are performed.
Prognosis and Treatment
The prognosis is similar to that for women who have ovarian cancer. Treatment almost always consists of removal of the uterus (hysterectomy) and removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes (salpingo-oophorectomy), adjacent lymph nodes, and surrounding tissues. Chemotherapy (as for ovarian cancer) is usually necessary after surgery. For some cancers, radiation therapy is useful. For cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, removing as much of the cancer as possible improves the prognosis.
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