OBJECTIVETo investigate the impact of treatment modality and clinicopathologic profile on prognosis in primary fallopian tube carcinoma.

METHODSThe data of 64 cases with primary fallopian tube carcinoma treated between January 1991 and June 2006 were analyzed. The clinicopathological data were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSThe overall 5-year survival rate of this series was 56.3%. The overall 3- and 5-year survival rate was 84.6% and 65.4% in surgical staging group versus 58.3% and 33.3% in no surgical staging group with a significant difference between two groups (P = 0.0429; P = 0.043), which was 89.5% and 68.4% in optimal cytoreduction group versus 66.7% and 41.7% in suboptimal cytoreduction group (P = 0.0466; P = 0.0444). However, there was no significant difference in 3-year and 5-year survival rate between the group with pelvic lymphadenectomy and the group without (84.2% vs. 69.2%, P = 0.4667; 63.1% vs. 53.8%, P = 0.459), and also between the group treated using CAP/CP regimen and the group by TP regimen for chemotherapy (81.8% vs. 80.0%, P = 0.8946; 59.1% vs. 60.0% P = 0.9582). It was found that the 5-year survival was correlated with FIGO stage (III-IV vs. I - II, P = 0.0197), differentiation grade (G3 vs. G1 + G2, P = 0.003), pathologic type (other type vs. serous, P = 0.0494), lymph nodes status (positive vs. negative, P = 0.0295).

CONCLUSIONSurgical staging, optimal cytoreduction, differentiation grade, pathologic type, lymph node status are important factors influencing the 5-year survival in primary fallopian tube carcinoma. Pelvic lymphadenectomy is necessary and feasible to perform during the procedure of surgical staging and cytoreduction. CAP/CP and TP regiment are similarly effective in adjuvant chemotherapy for primary fallopian tube carcinoma.