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Malignant disease of the uterus:
Endomaterial carcinoma (CA) has good prognosis in which (5 years survival rate is 60%)
Epidemiology:
Median age of presentation is (60 years old).
*(75-80%) of cases are postmenopausal.
*(3-5%) of cases are premenopausal (< 40 years).
Aetiology:
1-excess unopposed oestrogen stimulation of the endometrium.
2-premenapausal female which have high incidence of anovulation due to PCOS.
3-obesity because the main circulating oestrogen in postmenopausal women is derived
from aromatization of peripheral androgen in fat & muscles & also reduce SHBG.
4-disturb carbohydrate intolerance but in the cause is unclear in postmenopausal women
with diabetes have increase oestrogen independent of body weight so there may had
altered oestrogen metabolism independent of the effect of the weight.
5-women with personal history of breast or colonic cancer.
6-women who take tamoxifen are exposed to a risk of oestrogenic type effect on the
uterus.
7-ovarian tumor like granulosa theca cell tumor in which there is ( 10% endometrial
cancer & 50% endometrial hyperplasia).
8-family history of breast, colon & endometrial cancer.
9-nulliparity.
10-early menarche & late menopause.
Endometrial hyperplasia:
This partly because these lesion cannot be identified clinically & their detection is depend
on blind biopsy.
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Pathology:
1. simple hyperplasia: (cystic hyperplasia): is characterized by increase number of
glands that are dilated with irregular outline , some degree of crowding & reduce in
amount of stroma but no cytological atypia.
2. complex hyperplasia:(adenomatous hyperplasia): the glands have irregular outline
show marked structural complexity, the glands show( back-back) crowding with
little stroma.
3. atypical hyperplasia: the glands show nuclear atypia& abnormalmitosis figures &
sever structural abnormalities.
Aetiology:
No obvious predisposing cause may found but the most common cause is excess
oestrogen unopposed by progesterone either arise from an ovulatory cycles or oestrogen
secreting tumor &tamoxifen affect.
Natural history:
1. cystic hyperplasia: is common in postmenopausal women & an ovulatory teenager,
it rarely seen with endometrial CA & the risk of progression is (0.5- 1%).
2. adenomatous hyperplasia: the risk of progression is (3 – 4%).
3. atypical hyperplasia: CA may exist in ( 25 – 50 %) or concurrent endometrioid
ovarian CA.
Clinical features:
In premenopausal women they present with abnormal bleeding, in simple hyperplasia
the patient present with infrequent heavy period but the complex & atypical hyperplasia
does not give characteristic pattern of bleeding, the largest group is postmenopausal &
per menopausal.
Investigation:
1-outpatient biopsy. 2-hystroscopy. 3- U/S. 4-EAU.
Treatment:
1. discontiue oestrogen treatment & remove the oestrogen secreting tumor.
2. cystic hyperplasia: does not require special follow up & may manage on the basis of
subsequent symptoms.
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3. adenomatous hyperplasia: have low risk of progression to CA so there is no
indication for hysterectomy or progesterone therapy & subsequent management
depend on further symptoms.
4. atypical hyperplasia: TAH& BSO because of high risk of coexistence CA, younger
women who wish to preserve fertility can manage by progestogen (20mg/day) may
stop after (8-12 weeks), long term follow up is require because of risk of
recurrence.
Pathology of endometrial CA:
1. endometrial adeno CA.
2. adenosequmous CA.
3. papillary serous CA.
4. endometrial stromal SA.
5. clear cell CA.
6. malignant mixed Mullerian tumors.
Spread of endometrial CA:
1. Endometrial CA invade to myometrium some time extend over the endometrium
before penetrating the myometrium.
2. also invade the lymph nodes (para-aortic LN).
3. spread to the cervix by extension but infiltration through the lymph & cervical
stroma is more common.
4. direct infiltration into paramatrium is uncommon except when the cervix is
involved. *spread to ovary is common, transpetoneal spread occur spread when
myometrialinvasion reach the serosa or via fallopian tube
Staging system of endometrial CA:
o Ia: tumor limited to the endometrium.
o Ib: invasion < half of myometrium.
o Ic: invasion > half of myometrium.
o II a: endocervical glands involvement only.
o II b: cervical stroma invasion.
o III a: tumor invades serosa or adnaxia or +ve peritoneal cytology.
o III b: vaginal metastasis.
o III c: metastasis to pelvic ¶-aortic lymph nodes.
o IV a: tumor invade bladder or bowel mucosa.
o IV b: distant metastasis including intra-abdominal or inguinal lymph nodes.
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Clinical feature:
1. abnormal bleeding & discharge or pain or abnormal screening tests.
2. post menopausal bleeding because (75 – 80%) of disease in this age.
3. vaginal spotting & this should not related to atrophic vaginitis unless investigation
is normal.
4. cervical smear & endometrial biopsy should be performed in all cases
5. diagnostic curettage in patients with pyometra reveal cancer in 5% of cases.
6. pain due to nerve compression or constant dull pain or cramping due to pyometra.
7. in premenopausal there is irregular bleeding or heavy but regular periods.
Clinical examination:
1. enlarge lymph in the groin or supra clavicular lymph nodes.
2. metastic focus in the vagina commonly on the anterior wall.
3. the uterus enlarged or spread to adnexa or parameterium.
4. breast cancer may present with uterine or ovarian spread.
Investigations:
o out patients : 1- endometrial biopsy. 2- vaginal & abdominal U/S.
3-hystroscopy. 4-colposcopy.
o in patients: 1-EUA. 2-fractional curettage. 3- hysteroscopy.
o general tests: 1- CXR. 2-IVU. 3-CBP.
4-RFT. 3-MRI. 6-S. electrolytes.
Treatment:
a-stage I:
1- surgery: TAH & BSO.
o the adnexa should be removed because of risk of subclinical metastatic tumor
rather than to eliminate any hormonal influence.
o removal of vaginal cuff not reduce the recurrence or improve survival
o occlusion of the cervix & fallopian tube to prevent intra operative spillage of tumor
are unnecessary.
o the role of lymph adenectomy is to identify those women without nodal disease
who not need radiotherapy to avoid the risk of complication, if pelvic LN involved
so dissection is performed.
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2-radiotherapy: brachytherapy to vaginal vault or teletherapy to the whole pelvis, post-
operative radiotherapy to vault reduce recurrence & mortality rate.
Teletherapy used in women with poor prognostic factors such as:
1-invasion > half way through the myometrium.
2-high grade tumor & large tumor.
Stage II:
The treatment depend on microscopic & macroscopic involvement of the cervix, if the
disease is occult in the cervix so the treatment is the same as stage I with same prognosis,
the need for radio therapy is depend on depth of myometrial invasion & tumor grade.
Prognosis not improve by post-operative teletherapy but complication increase, if the
disease is obvious in the cervix so prognosis is worse ( 5 years survival rate is 30-60 %) so
treatment by TAH & BSO & bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy ¶-aortic LN sampling.
Stage III:
CT scan should be performed, if the disease confirm to the pelvis so the radiotherapy is
the treatment of choice. If the disease in the adnexa laparotomy should be performed to
see the extension of disease & to remove as much as possible from the tumor.
Stage IV:
The aim is for symptoms control & local tumor control so radiotherapy cytotoxic&
hormonal treatment may be required.
Recurrent disease:
(70%) of recurrence following primary treatment occur within the 1
st
(2-3 years), early
recurrence carry poor prognosis & vault recurrence is more common in the non-irradiated
patient . if there is single site of metastasis so radiotherapy cure ( 30-60%) of recurrence
& the radiotherapy is of value to relief pain & discomfort due to bone & nodal disease.
Progesterone treatment the response rate is (15-20%) with grade 1 tumor than grade 3
tumor, Medroxy progesterone acetate oral (200 mg) twice or three times / day. Cytotoxic
treatment is less attractive option because the patient is old & medically unfit the drugs is
Adriamycin, cisplatin& cyclophosphamide.
Uterine sarcoma:
Highly malignant tumor, the incidence rate is (3-5%), it is common in black women &
those with history of previous pelvic irradiation.
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Endometrial stromal SA:
*low grade ESS: it arise from stroma& from adenomyosis& endometriosis. It is look like a
fibroid but in (20-30%) of cases spread into broad or cardinal ligament, adnexa & other
abdominal organs . treatment: TAH& BSO with wide excision of parametrium, the
recurrence is high as (50%) & can be detected by CA 125 markers.
*high grade ESS: it is highly aggressive tumor occur after the menopause & presented
with post-menopausal bleeding or discharge or pain.
treatment: TAH & BSO & radiotherapy.
Malignant mixed mullerian tumor:
It is composed from malignant glands & malignant stroma. It is called carcino sarcoma if
homologous elements are found & called mixed mesodermal tumor if heterologous
elements are found.
CLF: it is presented with abnormal bleeding, pain & mass, the average age is (60 years) &
its highly aggressive tumor.
Treatment: as endometrial CA with radiotherapy.
Myometrial tumor:
Lieomyosarcoma: look like fibroids but the cut surface yellowish more than of fibroid
with areas of hemorrhage & necrosis. The ( 5-10%) of lieomyo SA that arise from fibroid
have better prognosis than those arise directly from normal myometrium.
Treatment : TAH & BSO.
This lecture by Dr-Nadia AL-Assady
CABOG - FIBOG