Fallopian tube cancer treatment at GenesisCare

There are a number of treatment options available for fallopian tube cancer, these include:

• Surgery – this usually involves the removal of the womb, ovaries, fallopian tubes and the omentum. In some women it may be possible to conserve fertility by leaving the womb, unaffected ovary and fallopian tube if you have a low-grade (slow growing), very early-stage cancer.
• Radiotherapy – high-energy radiation beams are precisely delivered to destroy cancer cells while doing as little harm as possible to healthy cells
• Chemotherapy – anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs are used to destroy cancer cells

The symptoms for cancer of the fallopian tube are often quite vague, and particularly if the cancer is in its early stages.

Symptoms may include:

• A long-lasting bloated or swollen tummy
• Pain in your lower abdomen area or back
• Needing to urinate urgently or more often than usual
• Feeling full quickly when you eat or a loss of appetite
• Vaginal bleeding not related to your periods or after the menopause or a watery vaginal discharge that may contain blood
• Unexplained weight loss or gain
• Extreme fatigue (feeling very tired)
• A change in your normal bowel habit (diarrhoea or constipation)

Please remember having one or more of the above symptoms doesn’t mean you have fallopian tube cancer. These symptoms may be caused by other conditions. But if you’re concerned, you should speak to your GP to arrange an appointment.

Chemotherapy uses cytotoxic (anti-cancer) drugs to destroy cancer cells.

Your specialist may recommend you have chemotherapy before surgery to reduce the size of your tumour.

If you’ve had surgery for fallopian tube cancer but all the cancer couldn’t be removed, your consultant is likely to suggest chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy may also be recommended if all your cancer has been successfully removed. This is to reduce the chance of the cancer coming back.

If surgery is not possible (stage 4 widespread disease) or for health reasons, your specialist may suggest chemotherapy as your main treatment.

Targeted (also called biological) therapies are a specialised group of drugs that are designed to attack or block specific processes in cancer cells that tumours depend on to survive and grow. It is typically used if cancer is advanced (stage 4) or come back after treatment.

If your cancer has spread to other parts of the body, it’s called advanced, metastatic or stage 4 fallopian tube cancer. At GenesisCare, you can receive palliative drug treatment for advanced fallopian tube cancer to reduce the size and progress of your cancer and ease pain and other symptoms.

For some advanced cancers, we use specialist tests, such as liquid biopsy or genomic testing, to understand the genetic make-up of cancer cells. This helps us to identify which drugs are available to work against specific genetic mutations in a cancer, allowing us to start effective treatment without delay.

There may also be opportunities to access clinical trials for the newest treatments for ovarian cancers such as fallopian tube cancer.

No treatment is without side effects. Your doctor will explain these to you before you start your course of chemotherapy. They’ll also discuss how your treatment plan and supportive care can help to manage or minimise these side effects.

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is a modern radiotherapy technique that directs beams of radiation in an arc across the treatment area. Together with surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT), it’s possible to precisely target areas of cancer, adjusting the beam and intensity of the radiation dose to allow for movements in the body and avoid healthy tissues.

Side effects of radiotherapy can occur when healthy tissue receives radiation, so using this technique helps to limit the dose to tissues and organs surrounding the tumour. At GenesisCare, we offer VMAT wherever possible because it is widely recognised to be the highest standard of care currently available for patients needing this type of radiotherapy.

We also offer palliative VMAT radiotherapy for those living with advanced fallopian tube cancer (stage 4). This type of treatment can help to control symptoms such as bleeding, pain and discomfort. We understand that fast access to palliative care is paramount, so we always do our best to provide treatment within 48 hours of a planning imaging scan.

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) uses very focused high-energy radiation beams to treat tumours in five or fewer sessions, and is often used in place of surgery. If you’ve previously had radiotherapy to the pelvis, your consultant may suggest this as an option. This is because stereotactic treatment is so precise it can often mean re-treatment is possible.

No treatment is without side effects. Your doctor will explain these to you before you start your course of radiotherapy. They’ll also discuss how your treatment plan and supportive care can help to manage or minimise these side effects.

Research has shown that a personalised programme of carefully planned and supported physical activity can enhance the quality of life of cancer patients, limit the impact of cancer by improving strength and reducing fatigue, and ultimately lead to better outcomes.

One of our physiotherapists specialising in exercise for people living with cancer will provide you with a tailored 12-week programme supported by our dedicated GenesisCare Exercise Medicine app. The physiotherapist will also work closely with you to monitor changes in your health and support you throughout the programme, helping you achieve the best results. This service is available at selected GenesisCare centres.

Through a unique partnership with the charity Penny Brohn UK, we offer all fallopian tube cancer patients access to a wellbeing expert and holistic therapies either in-person or remotely. The therapies you could benefit from include counselling, acupuncture, massage and reflexology.

We are proud that so many of our patients rate the care they receive from us as “excellent”. Find out more about the high-quality experiences of people who have been diagnosed or treated at a GenesisCare centre in our patient stories section.

• Cancer Research UK
• Macmillan Cancer Support
• Target Ovarian Cancer