Clinical and histopathological study of carcinoma of the corpus uteri

Clinical and histopathological investigations were carried out in 71 cases of carcinoma of the corpus uteri treated at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Hospital over the 10 year period from 1968 through 1977. The ratio of cases of the corpus uteri to those of the cervix was 6.5/100. The average age of the former group was 58 years and 30% of them were nulligravida. The rates of accompanying hyprtension and obesity were 21% and 20%, respectively. With regard to clinical stages, 75% were Stage I, 13% were Stage II, 10% were Stage III and 1% were Stage IV. The histological grade was G1 in 61%, G2 in 26%, and G3 in 13%. In Stage I, 80% of the cases had myometrial invasion into less than 1/3 of the uterine wall, but in Stage II invasion was limited to 1/3 in less than 25%. Metastasis to pelvic lymph nodes was found in 3 of 34 cases (9%): 1 of 24 cases of Stage I (4%) and 2 of 9 (cases of Stage II (22%). All three of these cases had myometrial invasion reaching deeper than 1/3 of the uterine wall. Those with deep myometrial invasion showed a diffuse invasive pattern, as did those of G2 or G3 lesions. Cases of G1 lesions showed a relatively shallow myometrial invasion, whereas there was a tendency for cases of G2 or G3 lesions to have deep myometrial invasion. The over-all 5 year relative survival rate was 83%, while that for the Stage I patients was 98%. All 12 of the patients who died of recurrence of carcinoma of the corpus uteri died within 2 years of treatment.