title: A 10-year review of primary fallopian tube cancer at a community hospital: a high association of synchronous and metachronous cancers.
abstract: Primary fallopian tube carcinomas (PFTC) are rare gynecological tumors infrequently diagnosed prior to operative intervention. A retrospective review was performed to characterize the distribution and clinicopathologic significance of these tumors. Identification of PFTC was achieved through a review of the tumor registry and medical record ICD-9 codes at a community teaching hospital. A total of 1.5% of all gynecological cancers were PFTC. Most patients were presumed to have ovarian cancer. Ultrasound had the highest sensitivity (82%) for preoperative diagnosis. Surgical exploration was needed for definitive diagnosis in all patients. Optimal debulking was predictive of survival and of a negative second-look laparotomy (P < 0.05). Twenty-five percent of patients had a metachronous cancer diagnosed prior to their fallopian tube cancer, and 22% had a synchronous gynecological malignancy diagnosed at the time of surgical exploration. The response rate to platinum-based chemotherapy was 78%. The 5-year survival rate was 87%, and the overall survival rate was 75%. The median follow-up was 38 months. This report details the diagnostic and therapeutic experience of patients with PFTC and describes the occurrence of synchronous and metachronous gynecological cancers.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Route 0587, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. mibenoit@utmb.edu
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Benoit
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Hannigan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005185:Fallopian Tube Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013724:Teratoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy