Hospital-based study of endometrial cancer survival in Mumbai, India

Endometrial cancer is common in western women, and the rates are very high; however in India, the rates are as low as 4.3 per 100,000 (Delhi).

To estimate the survival of endometrial cancer patients based on age, education, family history, tobacco habit, number of pregnancies, clinical extent of disease and treatment received.

The present retrospective study was carried out at the Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), Mumbai, India, between 1999-2002. 310 cases treated in TMH were considered as eligible entrants for the study. Five-year survival rates were estimated using actuarial and loss-adjusted (LAR) methods.

The proportions of patients dying above 50 years of age, non-residents and illiterates was higher than their counterparts. 54.8% of patients had some form of treatment before attending TMH. There were only 4.2% tobacco-chewers and only 6.1% had a family history of cancer. There were 25.8% who had 3-5 pregnancies (not living children) and 38.1% did not remember the pregnancy history. The 5-year overall survival rate was 92%. The five-year rates indicated better prognosis for those aged less than 50 years (97%), non-tobacco-chewers (94%), with no family history of cancer (93%), with localized disease (93%) and those treated with surgery either alone or as a combination treatment (95%).

The present study showed that endometrial cancer patients with localized disease at diagnosis have a good outcome in India. A detailed study will help in understanding the prognostic indicators for survival especially with the newer treatment technologies now available.