Prognostic significance of fallopian tube cytology: a study of 99 endometrial malignancies

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to relate fallopian tube lavage-cytology (tubal washings) from patients treated for endometrial malignancies with other recognized prognostic factors and also with patient survival. In 99 patients the following prognostic variables were analyzed: patient age, peritoneal washing cytology (PW), endometrial tumor grade, depth of myometrial invasion, myometrial vascular involvement, cervical stromal infiltration and peritoneal metastases. The association between tubal washings and preoperative hysteroscopy was also examined. Of the 99 patients with endometrial malignancy, 18 experienced their first tumor recurrence or died from tumor during the follow-up period (median 53 months, range 5-137 months). The remaining 81 patients were disease-free on their last visit or died from unrelated causes. Detailed statistical analysis revealed a complex inter-relationship between the variables but no independent prognostic significance for tubal washings. Furthermore, the absence of any statistical association between hysteroscopy and survival suggests that preoperative hysteroscopy has no deleterious effect. Although the small number of patients in this study limits any definitive conclusion, the analyzed data suggest that tubal washing cytology plays no useful role in the current management of patients with endometrial malignancies.