Fallopian Tube Originating Ovarian Cancer in a 53-Year-Old Postmenopausal Female With Hereditary Breast Cancer (BRCA) Genes: A Case Study

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynecologic malignancy, but it is the deadliest of the gynecologic cancers. Out of 21,410 new cases of ovarian cancer in the United States in 2021, more than half were fatal. In this case study, a 53-year-old sexually active postmenopausal patient with a family history of breast cancer presented to her gynecologist for an annual exam. Given the patient’s family history and breast cancer mutations, malignancy was a concern that had to be addressed. Elective bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy of the patient revealed ovarian serous carcinoma originating from the fallopian tubes. Historically, fallopian tube carcinoma was presumed to be rare, though many high-grade serous carcinomas previously classified as advanced ovarian carcinomas are now believed to have actually originated from the fallopian tubes. This case study adds to the body of evidence that many high-grade carcinomas have fallopian tube origins. This emerging perspective of ovarian cancer’s origin provides healthcare workers and the scientific community a more complete picture of the etiologies and dissemination pattern of ovarian cancer. We hope this study will help physicians have a more extensive knowledge base of such a disease when looking for risk factors and taking care of their patients.