Primary carcinoma of the fallopian tube and epithelial ovarian carcinoma: a case-control analysis.

Objective: To determine whether differences exist in clinicopathologic variables or survival between women with primary carcinoma of the fallopian tube (PCFT) and with epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC).

Study Design: University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) tumor board records were analyzed from January 1, 1991, to April 30, 2001. No cases were knowingly excluded. Each case of PCFT was matched with 2 cases of EOC. Controls were the next 2 cases of EOC diagnosed at UIHC after each case of PFTC, with priority given to stage of disease, then histologic grade, followed by histology, with 1 year the limit for obtaining the closest match.

Results: Twenty-eight cases of PCFT were found. These were matched with 56 cases of EOC. The mean age at diagnosis was significantly older for women with PCFT (67 years) vs. women with EOC (60 years) (p = 0.005). The was no difference in prediagnosis hormonal contraceptive use (p=0.38), body mass index (p = 0.5) or rate of positive nodes (p = 0.19). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no difference in survival between PCFT and EOC (p = 0.5).

Conclusion: There is no significant difference in clinical parameters or survival between patients with PCFT or EOC when matched for stage, grade and histology.