Frequently Asked Questions about Fallopian Tube Cancer

Fallopian tube cancer is very rare, making up fewer than 2 percent of gynecologic cancers.

Early-stage fallopian tube cancer does not always cause signs or symptoms that can be felt. This is why it is most often diagnosed at later stages. At that point, fallopian tube cancer symptoms can include feelings of pain or pressure in the abdomen, frequent urges to urinate, as well as gas, bloating, or constipation, and a loss of appetite. However, these symptoms can be caused by other conditions, so it’s important to talk to your doctor.

Pain in the abdomen can be a sign of many things, including cancer. If you feel pain or pressure in this area, talk to your doctor.

There is no known relationship between cysts that form in the reproductive organs and cancer, but it is important to have cysts monitored regularly by your doctor.

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.

Both cancers are most often epithelial carcinomas, which means that they form on the surface tissue of organs. However, there is another connection: Penn Medicine researchers discovered that ovarian cancer can start in the fallopian tubes.

Fallopian tube cancer can spread to other parts of your pelvis or elsewhere in your body. If suspicious cells are found in your fallopian tube, we will check for the spread of cancer in the tissues and organs surrounding the area. We may also perform a biopsy of your lymph nodes, abdominal tissues and the tissues near your stomach to see if and how far cancer has spread.

Because fallopian tube cancer is most often caught at later stages, it can spread to other parts of the pelvis, such as the peritoneum (the tissue that covers the organs in the abdomen). When fallopian tube cancer is diagnosed, doctors will also check to see if, and how much, it has spread.

You can enter a clinical trial upon diagnosis or at any time in the course of the disease. In fact, we encourage it. If you are interested in enrolling in a clinical trial, please talk with your doctor.

Most people who are enrolled in clinical trials will be treated in Philadelphia at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, but some people may be treated in our other facilities throughout the Philadelphia region.

If you don’t qualify or are not interested in clinical trials, you can get standard treatment from experienced doctors, both at Penn Medicine’s downtown Philadelphia hospitals and within the Penn Medicine health care system throughout the region.

If you are diagnosed with fallopian tube cancer, our fertility preservation program will evaluate your options for having a family in the future. This might include egg preservation, in-vitro fertilization and other advanced reproductive techniques.