Primary malignancy of the fallopian tube: a clinical review of 13 cases.

Thirteen cases of primary fallopian tube cancer are presented from The Ohio State University Hospital. The majority of these tumors were diagnosed in the advanced stage of the disease with a considerable variety in histology for a small series. The Pap smear was quite meaningful in the diagnosis of malignancy in three of the cases; however, none of these cases was diagnosed preoperatively as a tubal primary cancer per se. A careful consideration of the history of pain, vaginal discharge, and pelvic mass is most important in making this diagnosis of tubal cancer preoperatively, along with a high index of clinical suspicion. In our experience, the stage of the disease was the single most important factor effecting patient survival. The mode of therapy appears to be a less important factor influencing survival. Patients treated with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy had slightly better survival than did those patients in advanced stages treated by surgery and adjuvant radiation therapy.