How is fallopian tube cancer diagnosed?
It is difficult to see something abnormal growing on the inside of a tube. This makes fallopian tube cancer difficult to diagnosis. One of the most important steps in evaluating any patient with a gynecologic complaint is a proper pelvic examination. The healthcare provider (HCP) should examine the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and vagina. During this test your provider will most likely perform a Pap smear. A Pap smear is a test in which your provider will use a thin tool to scrape a sample of cells from your cervix, which will then be tested. An abnormal pap smear does not mean you have fallopian tube cancer. An abnormal Pap smear test can mean nothing or it can provide answers about what else could be going on in your body. And though a pelvic exam and pap smear is helpful in diagnosing a gynecological issue it is not the determinate test of fallopian tube cancer.
Thought to be more helpful in diagnosing fallopian tube cancer specifically is ultrasound. Ultrasound is an imaging test in which high-energy sound waves bounce off of tissues or organs making echoes that form a picture, called a sonogram. Your provider may start with a transabdominal ultrasound. During this test a probe covered with a gel is moved around the skin on top of your abdomen to produce a picture of your abdominal organ. This test is useful but if your provider still suspects fallopian tube cancer, he or she will order a transvaginal ultrasound. During this test, a probe will be placed into the vagina to produce a picture of the internal organs. A transvaginal ultrasound is the most effective technique for imaging the fallopian tubes. CT scan and MRI are routinely used in conjunction with ultrasound to image the organs in the abdomen.
Serum levels of a marker called CA-125 can be abnormally high in patients with gynecologic diseases, both cancer and non-cancer types (ie: pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, early pregnancy). Although CA-125 is nonspecific, and may be elevated due to many problems that are not cancer, checking a preoperative level is often recommended in a postmenopausal woman with a pelvic mass, if for no other reason than to establish a baseline value for later comparison and assessment of response to therapy.
Although imaging and lab test results are helpful in diagnosing fallopian tube cancer, most providers feel that the diagnosis requires surgery to evaluate the fallopian tubes and obtain tissue specimens to test for cancer cells.