85 - Uterine Cancer

Abstract

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy in the United States. Abnormal uterine bleeding is the most common presenting symptom for women diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Although genetic factors account for a small percentage of women with endometrial cancer, women with Lynch syndrome have a markedly increased risk for this disease. Lynch syndrome patients have mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes, creating alterations in microsatellite regions. Additionally, the Cancer Genome Atlas was analyzed and compelling evidence revealed that four categories of endometrial cancers exist. These four categories may confer different prognosis for patients with this malignancy. Due to the fact that most cancers are confined to uterus, surgery is a mainstay of treatment. The role of lymphadenectomy is debatable; however, the introduction of the sentinel lymph node technique has introduced a possible surgical alternative with reduced morbidity. Adjuvant therapy is not yet standardized and randomized trials are ongoing, which may help maximize treatment outcomes. Moreover, novel therapies are being introduced into the treatment of endometrial cancer in hopes of improving survival outcomes for women.