PRIMARY-CARCINOMA OF THE FALLOPIAN-TUBE - A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF115 PATIENTS

Incidence and prognostic factors of primary carcinoma of the Fallopian tube were studied in a retrospective multi-centre analysis of 115 wom en during the period 1980 to 1990. Data of 28 departments (univesity a s well as general hospitals) were included in the present study which was designed to evaluate the current diagnosis and treatment of carcin oma of the Fallopian tube in Austria, and to compare the results with those from the literature. Stages were classified according to the mod ified FIGO-system for ovarian cancer; grading followed the criteria of Hu et al. (1950). The mean age of the patients was 62.5 years. Forty- seven (40.9%) tumours were found to be in stage 1, 20 (17.4%) in stage II, 34 (29.6%) in stage III, and 14 (12.1%) in stage IV. In 82 patien ts, the tumour could be completely removed. The surgical method applie d in 95 cases was removal of the uterus, the adnexa, and/or the omentu m, or lymph nodes. Postoperatively patients underwent adjuvant therapy which was either irradiation (n = 40; 34.8%), or chemotherapy (n = 49 ; 42.6%); 26 women (22.6%) had no therapy after operation. The 5-year survival rate for all stages was 36.5%. In stages I and II the 5-year survival was 50.8% compared to 13.6% in stages Ill and IV. FIGO-stage I and II and a residual tumour less than 2 cm in advanced disease had a prognostically favourable impact, which was proven in univariate as well as multivariate analysis.