Fallopian tube cancer is an extremely rare disease that develops inside one or both of a woman’s fallopian tubes, the thin ducts that transport eggs from the ovaries to the uterus. This type of cancer accounts for only about 1% of all female gynecologic cancers. It’s estimated that only a few hundred cases are diagnosed in the United States each year.

The vast majority of fallopian tube cancers are papillary serous adenocarcinoma,  which begin in cells in the lining of the fallopian tubes. A small percentage are sarcomas, which develop from connective tissue.

Risk factors

Because of its rarity and the relative lack of research about it, the causes and risk factors for fallopian tube cancer are largely unknown. Studies have shown a correlation between this type of cancer and having a mutation of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, which is also a genetic factor in ovarian and breast cancers.

Additional risk factors may include:

• Age: Most women with this type of cancer are between 50 and 60
• Ethnicity: This disease appears more frequently in Caucasians than women of other races
• Medical History: Having a history of unexplained infertility, chronic infection and/or inflammation of the fallopian tubes

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of fallopian tube cancer are:

• Irregular or heavy vaginal bleeding (especially after menopause)
• Abdominal or pelvic pain
• Vaginal discharge
• A pelvic mass at the time of diagnosis (in up to two-thirds of patients)

One particular symptom associated with fallopian tube cancer is called “hydrops tubae profluens.” This occurs when fluid that has collected in the fallopian tube is suddenly released through the uterus, causing a large amount of watery or pink-tinged fluid to come from the vagina.