Clinicopathologic insight of simultaneously detected primary endometrial and ovarian carcinomas

To evaluate the clinicopathologic features in patients with synchronous primary carcinomas of the ovary and endometrium.

Clinical information and pathologic details were collected and analyzed from 30 women with synchronous endometrial and ovarian cancers.

Median age at diagnosis was 51 years. Abnormal uterine bleeding was the most common presenting symptom (50%). More than half (53%) of the patients were premenopausal and 37% never had a pregnancy. Stage I disease was observed in 90 (27/30) and 73% (22/30) of the patients with endometrial and ovarian cancer, respectively. Endometrioid type was the most frequently observed histology for synchronous endometrial and ovarian cancer (n = 18/30, 60%). All patients were surgically staged and adjuvant treatment was considered when required according to our protocols. The mean follow-up period was 6.6 years (SD = 3.0 years), and the cumulative event-free rate for 5 years was 84.2% (SE 7.3%). No significant differences in the survival rates were found according to the histological subtype (p = 0.513). Women with synchronous primary cancers of the endometrium and ovary were generally younger than those developing either one of the above mentioned adenocarcinomas. They appeared to have a favorable prognosis with an estimated overall survival of 84.2% in 5 years.

A gynecologist should always keep in mind the possibility of double primary carcinomas of the endometrium and ovary in a young, premenopausal, nulliparous woman presenting with abnormal uterine bleeding and prompt the patient for further evaluation.