Endometrial Cancer: Beyond The Basics

SUMMARY:

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy in the US and accounts for 7% of all cancers in women. Most cases are diagnosed early and can be treated with surgery alone.  with surgery alone. However, there are certain cell types and clinical features (such as extrauterine spread) that are associated with a high rate of relapse following surgical and medical therapy. There are two types of endometrial cancer that vary in epidemiology, genetics, treatment, and prognosis.

Types of Endometrial Cancer

Type 1 (more common): Endometrioid

• Precursor is atypical endometrial hyperplasia (or endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia)
• Most cases are low grade
• Generally results from unopposed, prolonged estrogen stimulation
• Risk Factors
  • Unopposed estrogen |Age| Obesity | Metabolic syndrome | Nulliparity | Infertility | Late menopause | Tamoxifen use | Type 2 diabetes | Hypertension | Lynch syndrome

Note: Tamoxifen risk may be related to age and is significant in women ≥50 years of age (NSABP prevention trial in high risk women)

Type 2: Papillary serous | Clear cell| Carcinosarcoma (Mixed Mullerian Tumor [MMT])

• Type 2 more common in older, nonwhite, multiparous women and current smokers
• Papillary serous on 10% of uterine malignancies, but accounts for 40% of deaths
  • Precursor thought to be endometrial intraepithelial carcinoma
  • High grade, risk of extrauterine disease at time of diagnosis
• Clear cell
  • Also poorer prognosis
  • Increased risk in smokers
• MMT is a rare but aggressive tumor

Note: Molecular subgroup classification is used to stratify patients into low- and high-risk prognostic categories | Molecular profiling is increasingly used to guide therapeutic strategies

Uterine Cancer Symptoms

• Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) or postmenopausal bleeding
• Advanced disease
  • Abdominal pain
  • Distention
  • Bloating
  • Early satiety
  • Change in bowel/bladder function

KEY POINTS:

Evaluation of Premenopausal Patient

• Routine screening of asymptomatic patients using transvaginal ultrasound or endometrial sampling is not recommended
• Evaluate if patient symptomatic with AUB
  • Thorough medical history, exam, imaging and consideration of age-based risk
• Diagnosis is by endometrial sampling with dilation and curettage or endometrial biopsy
  • Endometrial biopsy should be performed in all women >45 or
  • Any age with risk factors for endometrial hyperplasia or malignancy (exclude pregnancy first) including failed medical management, and persistent abnormal AUB
• Ultrasound measurement of endometrial thickness has no diagnostic value
• ACOG recommends that “The decision to histologically evaluate the endometrium should be based on symptomatology and clinical presentation”

Evaluation of Postmenopausal Patient

• Prompt evaluation recommended for the following
  • Vaginal bleeding | Presenting symptom is 91% of women with endometrial cancer
  • Endometrial cells on pap smear cytology
• Initial assessment can be either endometrial biopsy or transvaginal ultrasound
  • Biopsy is not required if endometrial thickness is ≤4 mm
  • Biopsy is required if endometrial thickness cannot be evaluated or is >4 mm
• Persistent or recurrent bleeding requires biopsy regardless of endometrial thickness

Note: If biopsy has been performed and is benign, yet bleeding persists, dilation and curettage plus hysteroscopy is needed

Evaluation of Asymptomatic Patients with Incidental Findings

• In an asymptomatic patient, incidental finding of endometrial thickness of >4 mm is not an accurate predictor of an endometrial cancer diagnosis
• Endometrial thickness of >11 mm in asymptomatic patient has a similar risk of endometrial cancer as a symptomatic patient with >4 mm endometrial thickness
• Polyps can be managed expectantly or surgically, depending on patient symptoms/risk factors
  • Low prevalence of malignancy in polyps (<5%)

Cervical Cytology Findings Requiring Evaluation (ASCCP)

Postmenopausal Women

• Evaluate if endometrial cells present on cytology

Asymptomatic Premenopausal Women

• Endometrial cells
  • Do not evaluate
• All categories of atypical glandular cells or adenocarcinoma in situ
  • Endometrial sampling in conjunction with colposcopy and endocervical sampling in nonpregnant patients ≥35 years
  • <35 years old if risk factors for endometrial neoplasia are present
• Atypical endometrial cells
  • Endometrial and endocervical sampling alone is preferred
  • Colposcopy is acceptable as part of the initial evaluation

Treatment

Preinvasive Disease

• Hysterectomy remains the standard treatment for Endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN), with possible bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy depending on menopausal status due to high concurrent cancer rate (42.7%)
• Fertility‑sparing approaches such as progestins are increasingly important, driven by rising obesity in younger populations and delayed childbearing

Invasive Disease

• Patients with localized disease are usually cured with one of the 2 following standard treatments
  • Hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo‑oophorectomy
  • Hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and adjuvant radiation therapy (when deep invasion of the myometrial muscle [more than 50% of the myometrium] or grade 3 tumor with myometrial invasion is present)
• Patients with regional and distant metastases are rarely cured, although they may respond to respond to hormone therapy

Learn More – Primary Sources:

NCI: Endometrial Cancer – Health Professional Version

2019 ASCCP Risk-Based Management Consensus Guidelines for Abnormal Cervical Cancer Screening Tests and Cancer Precursors

Executive Summary of the Uterine Cancer Evidence Review Conference

Advances in the management of endometrial cancer | The BMJ

Locate a GYN Oncology Specialist:

Gyn Oncology Locator – SGO