What Is It?

Fallopian tube cancer occurs when cells in the fallopian tubes, the passageways that connect the ovaries and the uterus, multiply out of control and form a tumor. As this tumor slowly grows, it can fill and eventually press against the inside of the fallopian tube, stretching the tube and causing pelvic pain. Over time, the tumor can invade the muscular wall of the fallopian tube, penetrate through the tube's outer surface and eventually spread throughout the pelvis and abdomen.

Fallopian tube cancer is very rare. It accounts for less than 1 percent of all cancers of the female reproductive organs. Only 1,500 to 2,000 cases have been reported worldwide, primarily in postmenopausal women. It is more common for cancer to spread to a fallopian tube from elsewhere in the body (usually the ovary or endometrium) than for a new cancer to develop in the fallopian tube.

Scientists don't know whether any environmental or lifestyle factors increase the risk of this cancer. Researchers are looking at the possibility that there might be some inherited (genetic) tendency for developing the illness. In particular, there is some evidence that women who inherit a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, a gene already linked to breast and ovarian cancer, seem to have an increased risk of developing fallopian tube cancer.

Symptoms

Symptoms of fallopian tube cancer can include:

Abnormal vaginal bleeding, especially after menopause
Abdominal pain or a feeling of pressure in the abdomen
Abnormal vaginal discharge (white, clear or pinkish)

These symptoms are not unique to fallopian tube cancer. In fact, they occur more commonly as symptoms of other gynecological problems.