Maintenance therapy for long-term control of high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma

High-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (HG-ESS) is a malignant uterine tumour with a poor prognosis. This study aimed to demonstrate the usefulness of maintenance chemotherapy with paclitaxel (PTX) and carboplatin (CBDCA) for HG-ESS recurrence, by examining a case of HG-ESS tumour progression as a result of maintenance therapy interruption because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The patient was a woman in her 60s who presented with lower abdominal pain, nausea and a pelvic tumour, which was diagnosed as HG-ESS. Chemotherapy with PTX (175 mg/m² day 1) + CBDCA (area under the concentration-time curve 5 day 1) every 21-28 days (TC therapy) was administered for long-term maintenance of HG-ESS. After 26 cycles, chemotherapy had to be postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, thus leading to disease progression and eventually death. In conclusion, TC therapy can prolong survival in patients with HG-ESS, and maintenance chemotherapy should not be postponed.