Primary fallopian tube carcinoma: the Queensland experience

The purpose of this study was to review the experience with fallopian tube carcinoma in Queensland and to compare it with previously published data. T hirty-six patients with primary fallopian tube carcinoma treated at the Que ensland Gynaecological Cancer Center from 1988 to 1999 were reviewed in a r etrospective clinicopathologic study. All patients had primary surgery and 31/36 received chemotherapy postoperatively. Abnormal vaginal bleeding (15/ 36) and abdominal pain (14/36) were the most common presenting symptoms at the time of diagnosis. Median follow-up was 70.3 months and the median over all survival was 68.1 months. Surgical stage I disease (P = 0.02) and the a bsence of residual tumor after operation (P = 0.03) were the only factors a ssociated with improved survival. Twenty of the 36 patients (55%) presented with stage I disease and survival was 62.7% at 5 years. No patient with po stoperative residual tumor survived. The majority of the patients with fallopian tube carcinoma present with sta ge I disease at diagnosis, but their survival probability is low compared w ith that of other early stage gynecological malignancies. If primary surgic al debulking cannot achieve macroscopic tumor clearence, the chance of surv ival is extremely low.