[Primary adenocarcinoma of the fallopian tube. Retrospective study of 16 cases. Prognostic factors].

The authors report the result of a study carried out on 16 cases of tubal adenocarcinoma treated between the years 1975 and 1988. This is a rare gynaecological cancer with a poor prognosis. The mean age of the patients was 57 years, 64.5% of them were menopausal. 25% had had a history of sterility. 29% were nulliparous and 37.5% had previous salpingitis. In 44% of cases the principal clinical signs were a watery discharge and a blood stained discharge. Pelvic pain occurred in 37% of the cases and CT scan showed a pelvic mass in 50% of cases. Hysterosalpingography and ultrasound were two complimentary investigations. The relatively early stage at which first signs of the condition were noted, show the stages of the disease: stage I 68.7%, stage II 25%, stage III 6.2%, stage IV 0%. Surgery above all was the basis of treatment carried out in all cases, and supplemented in 15 out of the 16 cases by added treatment (radiotherapy, chemotherapy of hormone therapy). As far as histology was concerned, well or moderately well differentiated forms were found to predominate (there were 37.5% grade I and 37.5% grade II) against only 26% for grade III. More than half of the tube wall was infiltrated in 50% of cases. The actuarial survival rate after 5 years was 33%. The authors examine the principal factors responsible for the prognosis, the tissue, the early diagnosis and the possibility of removing the tumour completely at the first operation as well as the histological grading and above all the degree of depth of infiltration of the wall of the tube.