Screening for endometrial cancer

Since Gusberg's description in 1947 of adenomatous hyperplasia (15), the role of precursors in the development of endometrial carcinoma has been well studied. There is now no doubt that in many patients histologic precursors can be demonstrated in the endometrial cavity prior to the development of invasive cancer. At this point in the continuum, interruption by hysterectomy or other therapy will insure the patient's health. We have discussed a wide variety of techniques designed to provide cytologic or histologic samples of the endometrium that are highly effective in the detection of early neoplasia. As a goal, universal endometrial sampling on a periodic basis is probably impractical and may be unecessary or undesirable. However, surely the patient at high risk for endometrial cancer requires close periodic screening. The high-risk category may be expanded to include others beyond the group of hypertensive, diabetic, obese, anovulatory, nulliparous women. It should include patients with irregular vaginal bleeding, those with a strong family history of genital and breast cancer, those patients receiving hormone therapy, and patients in the menopausal years who experience changes in the menstrual pattern. With intelligent and aggressive application of outpatient screening, uterine cancer can be diagnosed when patients are virtually completely curable, thus resulting in further reduction in mortality from this disease.