What is Fallopian tube Cancer ?

Fallopian tube cancer typically forms in the cells that line the inside of the fallopian tubes, the two tiny ducts that connect the ovaries to the uterus. It is one of the rarest gynecological cancers.

More common are cancers that start in other parts of the body and spread to the fallopian tubes including ovarian, endometrial, gastrointestinal and breast cancer. These are called secondary fallopian tube cancers.

Purpose of the Fallopian tube :

If a woman has not gone through menopause, her ovaries produce eggs (ova) that travel through the fallopian tubes to the uterus. In the uterus, they are fertilized or expelled as part of menstruation (also called the menstrual cycle or periods).
Usually, an egg is released from the ovaries into the fallopian tubes each month. The tubes are lined with small hair-like projections called cilia. These help move the eggs to the uterus.

Types of cancers that start in the Fallopian tube:

erous adenocarcinomas and endometrioid adenocarcinomas. These are the cancers that start in the lining of the fallopian tubes.

Eiomyosarcomas, which form in the smooth muscle of the tube, and transitional cell, which form in other cells inside the tube.

Because Fallopian tube cancer is so rare, we do not know the exact causes and risk factors.

Risk factors may include:

Age: It can affect woman of any group of age. But it most often is found in white women between 50 and 60 years old who have had few or no children. The usual age is 60 to 66 years.
Gene mutations: Women who have certain gene mutations may have a higher risk of Fallopian tube cancer. These include:
One of the genes that cause HNPCC (hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer), also called Lynch syndrome
Some women have a lower risk of getting Fallopian tube cancer.

These include women who have:
Delivered and breast-fed children. The more children you have had, the lower your risk of Fallopian cancer.

Not everyone with risk factors gets Fallopian tube cancer. However, if you have risk factors, it’s a good idea to discuss them with your health care provider.