Endometrial cancer: factors affecting survival

To evaluate the influence in survival of clinical and pathological findings in patients with endometrial cancer.

In 152 women treated for endometrial cancer from 1982 to 1996, personal, obstetrical and oncological data, histology, grade, myometrial invasion, peritoneal cytology, FIGO stage and treatment were correlated with survival.

Mean age was of 60.3 +/- 11.1 years old. Eight patients had a previous history of other neoplasms (seven of them gynecological). The mean clinical complaint was abnormal uterine bleeding. The most common histological type was endometrioid (84.9%), only 51 cases did not show myometrial invasion and 119 women were in Stage I at diagnosis. Peritoneal cytology was negative in 113 patients. Seven patients out of 85 in whom lymphadenectomy was performed showed metastasis. Seventeen of the patients died. The factors influencing survival were age, myometrial invasion and lymph node metastasis.

Lack of myometrial invasion, absence of lymph node metastasis and age younger than 60 years seem to be the most significant predicting factors of survival.