Primary carcinoma of the fallopian tube: a review of a single institution experience of 8 cases.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinicopathologic features, response to cytoreductive surgery and adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy with or without paclitaxel.


METHODS
A retrospective observational study of 8 women with a histopathologic diagnosis of primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC) from January 2000 to February 2013.


RESULTS
4/8 (50%) of the women were in the early stage and an intraoperative frozen section was 100% effective in identifying fallopian tube carcinoma and then a staging laparotomy was performed. All 4/8 cases in the early stage had received and responded to single agent carboplatin and all are alive without clinical, radiological, or biochemical evidence of recurrence at the end of 2 years and the longest survivor has completed 13 years. Primary optimal cytoreductive surgery was achievable in 3/4 (75%) in advanced disease. All showed response to adjuvant paclitaxel and carboplatin (T+C), but all had succumbed to the disease following recurrence with mean progression-free survival of 19 months (range 15-21 months) and mean overall survival of 27 months (range 22-36 months).


CONCLUSIONS
The pivotal role played by a frozen section in diagnosing PFTC which is rare needs to be reemphasized, therefore justifying a primary staging laparotomy in an early stage. Prolonged survival observed in this group following an optimum tailored adjuvant single agent carboplatin is worth noting.
Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Dr. MH MariGowda Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560030, India.
Shakuntala P
SP
Nanaiah
Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Dr. MH MariGowda Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560030, India.
Praveen S
PS
Rathod
Department of Pathology, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Dr. MH MariGowda Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560030, India.
Namrata N
NN
Rajkumar
Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Dr. MH MariGowda Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560030, India.
Rajshekar
R
Kundargi
Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Dr. MH MariGowda Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560030, India.
Anbukkani
A
Subbian
Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Dr. MH MariGowda Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560030, India.
Pallavi V
PV
Ramachandra
Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Dr. MH MariGowda Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560030, India.
Shobha
S
Krishnappa
Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Dr. MH MariGowda Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560030, India.
Abhilasha
A
Narayan
Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Dr. MH MariGowda Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560030, India.
Uma K
UK
Devi
Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Dr. MH MariGowda Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560030, India.
Bafna D
BD
Uttamchand
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D005185:Fallopian Tube Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome