Primary Fallopian Tube Carcinoma: Results of a Single-Institutional Retrospective Analysis of 17 Patients with Evaluation of Staging and Prognostic Factors

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Primary carcinoma of the fallopian tubes is one of the less common gynecological cancers. It constitutes (0.14-0.18%) of gynecological malignancies. Our study aimed to review the managing process of primary carcinoma of the fallopian tubes in the mono-center institute and to identify prognostic factors impacting survival. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study regarding patients with fallopian tube carcinoma treated between July 1991 and December 2005 was identified at the Tunisian anticancer institute “Salah Azaiez”. During this period, we have identified 17 patients. Data such as age, gravidity and parity, menopausal condition, symptoms reported by the patient on presentation, adjuvant therapy, stage of illness, surgical intervention, pathological findings, tumor recurrence, and previous surgical procedures were obtained from the patients’ reports. RESULTS: The average age at the time of diagnosis was 58 years. Fourteen of the included patients were postmenopausal. Surgery was the initial therapy for 15 patients. Optimal cytoreductive surgery was achievable in seven patients with no residual tumors. Histologic examination revealed that serous adenocarcinoma type was the predominant type. Two were in stage I and, four were in stage II; seven were in stage III and four in stage IV. The median follow-up time was 24 months. At the time of the final analysis, 11 patients died of disease. 5-year OS, DFS was 21% and 37% respectively. In our study, only the residual tumor was a significant prognostic factor predicting survival. CONCLUSION: Complete optimal surgery with no residual tumor was the main goal of the surgeon to improved survival in primary fallopian tube carcinoma.

Primary Fallopian Tube Cancer: A Literature Review

“…The age of patients with FTC ranges mainly from 40 to 60 years, but several cases were described in patients between 17 and 89 [6,7]. Up to 35-70% of patients with FTC suffer from infertility and have a history of inflammatory diseases of the uterine adnexa [8,9,10]. The role of inflammation in the development of FTC was proved by the unique observation of H. I.…”

“…Most authors are unanimous that the results of treatment primarily depend on optimal cytoreduction [50,51]. Surgical intervention with tumor remnants of more than 1 cm is considered suboptimal [8,22]. Even accidental entry of cells into the abdominal cavity during puncture or biopsy of "hydrosalpinges" can reduce the survival rate of patients by up to 8 times [52].…”

Primary High-grade Serous Carcinoma of the Fallopian Tube as an Incidental Intraoperative Finding: A Case Report

“…Primary carcinoma of the fallopian tube is a very unusual, yet lethal gynecologic malignancy, which accounts for less than 1% of all malignancies of the female reproductive system (1). The incidence of this cancer dramatically increases in middle-aged women, reaching its peak in the age range of 60 -64 years (2).…”