Fallopian tube cancer

If you’ve been diagnosed with fallopian tube cancer, you deserve experienced care and access to the most advanced treatments available. Penn Medicine is at the forefront of gynecologic cancer research. We treat a high volume of people with fallopian tube cancer, offering leading-edge treatments, including immunotherapy. As an academic medical center, we have clinical trials for fallopian tube cancer, as well as on-site lab capabilities to analyze your cancer and guide precision care at every phase of your treatment.

What is fallopian tube cancer?

Fallopian tube cancer forms in the tissue that covers the fallopian tubes, a pair of long, thin tubes on either side of the uterus (womb). Eggs formed in the ovaries pass through the fallopian tubes to the uterus during ovulation.

Cancers that form in the fallopian tubes can spread to the ovary. This is how some ovarian cancers form. Fallopian tube cancer is very rare, making up fewer than 2 percent of gynecologic cancers.

Types of fallopian tube cancer

Fallopian tube cancers are most often epithelial or surface carcinomas, which means that they form on the tissue that lines or covers the fallopian tubes.

There are several different types of fallopian tube cancers, including:

  • Papillary serous adenocarcinomas: More than 95 percent of fallopian tube cancers are papillary serous adenocarcinomas. This type of cancer grows from the cells lining the fallopian tubes. When the cells begin to divide abnormally and invade other organs or spread to other parts of the body, tumors may form.
  • Primary fallopian tube cancer: Primary fallopian tube cancer is extremely rare, representing about 1 percent of all gynecologic cancers.
  • Sarcomas (leiomyosarcomas): Occasionally, tumors called sarcomas (leiomyosarcomas) may form from smooth muscle in the fallopian tubes. Tumors can also form on other cells that line the fallopian tubes and are called transitional cell carcinomas.

Fallopian tube cancer signs and symptoms

Fallopian tube cancer does not always cause early signs or symptoms. Also, other conditions may cause the same or similar symptoms as fallopian tube cancer.

If you suspect that you have any of the following signs of fallopian tube cancer, contact your doctor:

  • Pelvic pain, pressure, or swelling
  • Sudden or frequent urge to urinate
  • Loss of appetite or quickly feeling full when you eat
  • A lump in the pelvic area
  • Gas, bloating, constipation, or abdominal pain

Who is at high risk of fallopian tube cancer?

People with a personal or family history of ovarian, breast, or peritoneal cancer may be at a higher risk of developing fallopian tube cancer. Other fallopian tube cancer risk factors include inherited gene mutations and endometriosis.

Why choose Penn

While fallopian tube cancer is rare, Penn Medicine sees a high volume of people in the region who need fallopian tube cancer care. Fallopian tube cancer is similar to ovarian cancer, and often treated in the same way, so that people with this type of cancer benefit from our nationally recognized ovarian cancer care.

Frequently asked questions about fallopian tube cancer

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Rated “exceptional” by The National Cancer Institute

Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center is a world leader in cancer research, patient care, and education. Our status as a national leader in cancer care is reflected in our continuous designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) since 1973, one of 7 such centers in the United States. The ACC is also a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, one of a select few cancer centers in the U.S., that are working to promote equitable access to high-quality, advanced cancer care.

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