Papillary carcinomas of the endometrium

A retrospective study of patients with papillary endometrial carcinomas was performed. Of 761 patients with endometrial carcinomas treated at the Royal Brisbane Hospital between 1982 and 1989, 19 (2.4%) had papillary endometrial carcinoma (PEC) and 21 (2.8%) had papillary serous endometrial carcinoma (SPEC). Patients were similar in age and parity but survival was significantly poorer in cases of SPEC than PEC. Patients with SPEC had a 47% 3-year survival with surgically documented localized disease. Recurrences were mainly outside the field of adjuvant radiotherapy. It thus appears that local treatment is not sufficient and some form of systemic treatment is required.