PRIMARY-CARCINOMA OF FALLOPIAN-TUBE - EXPERIENCE OF 6 CASES

Between 1980 and 1993, six cases of primary carcinoma of the fallopian tube were diagnosed and treated at the Hospital of Rovigo. Median age was 64.6 years; the most frequent symptom was atypical vaginal bleedi ng; only one patient presented a history compatible with hydrops tubae profluens. No patient in this series had a correct preoperative diagn osis. In Papanicolau smears and endometrial currettage, one case was p ositive for cancer. Primary surgical treatment was performed in all ca ses, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Histologic differentiation was Grade 2 in three patients and Grade 3 in three patients. Staging was by a system analogous to the FIGO classification for ovarian carcinoma . Two patients had Stage I disease; one, Stage II; two, Stage III; and one, Stage IV. Two patients died 14 and 37 months after the initial d iagnosis. Three patients without clinical evidence df disease underwen t second look procedures; the patients were alive and disease free wit h follow up ranging from 45 to 55 months. One patient is alive 4 month s after surgery. In this series survival was not associated with grade , but was dependent upon stage. In our study, the prognostic value of the second- and third-look procedures are discussed.