Uterine sarcomas: histology and its implications on therapy

Uterine sarcomas are rare cancers, they comprise only 5% of all uterine malignancies. There are about 2,000 cases of uterine sarcoma diagnosed annually in the United States. Uterine sarcomas may be categorized as either favorable-risk, low-grade malignancies with a relatively good prognosis or as poor-risk, high-grade cancers that carry a high risk for tumor recurrence and disease progression. Expert histologic review is critical for appropriate diagnosis and management. Uterine sarcoma histologies considered to carry a more favorable prognosis include low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas and adenosarcomas. The high-grade sarcomas include high-grade leiomyosarcomas, high-grade undifferentiated endometrial sarcomas, and adenosarcomas with sarcomatous overgrowth. The favorable histology, low-grade uterine sarcomas may be cured with surgical resection of uterus-limited disease. These tumors are often hormone-sensitive, and treatment with hormonal therapies may be efficacious for patients with advanced, unresectable disease. High-grade uterine leiomyosarcomas and undifferentiated endometrial sarcomas carry a high risk for recurrence, even after complete resection of uterus-limited disease. No adjuvant intervention has been shown to improve survival outcomes. Advanced, metastatic disease is generally treated with systemic cytotoxic therapies, which may result in objective response but is not curative. Selected patients with isolated metastatic disease and a long disease-free interval may benefit from metastatectomy.