Defining prognostic factors in older patients with endometrial cancer

Endometrial cancer (EC) is most frequently seen in older and postmenopausal women.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of recurrence and survival and clinical, pathological, surgical, and treatment factors affecting recurrence and survival in older patients with EC.

Three hundred and six (21.7%) patients aged ≥ 65 out of a total of 1413 patients diagnosed with and treated for epithelial EC at the Division of Gynecologic Oncology between January 1993 and May 2013 were evaluated retrospectively. All patients were staged according to FIGO 2009 staging system. Progression-free survival (PFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) were determined. Independent prognostic factors affecting recurrence and survival were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression analysis.

The median age of the patients was 68 (65-92) years. Eighty-nine patients (29.1%) were diagnosed with stage III-IV disease. Tumor type was endometrioid in 226 (73.9%) patients, and 101 (33%) patients were diagnosed with FIGO grade 1 endometrioid endometrial cancer. One hundred fifty-three patients received adjuvant therapy after surgery. Five-year PFS, 5-year CSS, and 5-year OS were 73%, 85%, and 83%, respectively. Only the 2009 FIGO stage was independently associated with PFS (OR = 3.495, 95% CI 1.592-7.675; p = 0.002) and CSS (OR = 6.135, 95%CI 1.269-31.417; p = 0.024).

In conclusion, 2009 FIGO stage was found to be the only independent prognostic factor associated with recurrence and death in older patients with endometrial cancer.