Background : The pathogenetic relationship of fallopian tube carcinoma to tamoxifen or BRCA gene mutation has been discussed in the literature. We report a case of fallopian tube carcinoma
in situ in a woman treated with tamoxifen as adjuvant breast carcinoma therapy.
Case : A 58-year-old woman who underwent left mastectomy for breast carcinoma at 50 years of age then underwent adjuvant tamoxifen therapy. After one year, cervical cytology showed malignant cells suggestive of endometrial carcinoma. Gynecological examination showed no tumor in the uterus, ovaries, or fallopian tubes. Total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingooophorectomy were done two months later. Grossly, the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tube were normal, but microscopic examination of serial sections of the fallopian tubes showed bilateral fallopian tube carcinoma
in situ.
Although two lymph nodes with cancer metastasis were excised twice during the 6 years after surgery, she has no evidence of cancer at present.
Conclusions : 1. Caution should be used in the development of fallopian tube carcinoma in patients with breast carcinoma and treatment using tamoxifen.
2. Fallopian tube carcinoma should be taken into consideration when no clinically apparent lesions are found despite the presence of malignant cells in cervical cytology.
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