Clinical Profile and Treatment Outcomes of Malignant Mixed Mullerian Tumors of the Uterus: A Single-Center Experience.

Abstract

Background A malignant mixed Mullerian tumor (MMMT), otherwise known as carcinosarcoma, is a rare and aggressive malignancy involving the uterus. Despite aggressive treatment, they have poor outcomes. We performed this study to analyze the clinical profile, prognostic features, and treatment outcomes of patients treated for MMMT of the uterine corpus in our center. Methodology A study sample from a database of patients treated at a tertiary care center in South India between January 2015 and December 2019 was analyzed retrospectively. A total of 29 non-metastatic patients were included in the study. The diagnosis of MMMT was confirmed by a pre-operative biopsy specimen or endometrial curettage. Information regarding the patient, tumor characteristics, details of the surgery, adjuvant therapy, and follow-up details were collected retrospectively. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test was used to identify any significant prognostic factor. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS software, version 21 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results The population's median age was 60 years (interquartile range (IQR): 52-65). The homologous type was the most common pathology seen in 21 patients. The median size of the tumor was 7 centimeters (cm) (IQR: 6-10). Around two-thirds of the patients received adjuvant radiation therapy. Paclitaxel and carboplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy were used in 60% of the patients. Nearly 90% of the recurrences were distant recurrences. During the follow-up, 17 patients developed a recurrence. The median DFS was 12 months (95% CI: 7.7-16.2). The median OS was 26 months (95% CI: 10.6-41.3). The three-year OS rate was 42%. Patients with an age >60 years had a median overall survival of 11 months, compared to 37 months for patients <60 years (p = 0.026). The median overall survival of patients with tumor sizes >10 cm was 12.5 months, and it was 35 months when the tumor size was less than 10 cm (p = 0.03). Patients receiving radiotherapy (RT) had an improved survival (39 months) compared to those who did not receive RT (12.5 months) (p = 0.046). The median overall survival for patients after the recurrence was 12 months. As most patients were elderly with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of two at baseline, only a few patients were fit for second-line chemotherapy. Conclusion A malignant mixed Mullerian tumor is an aggressive tumor of the uterine corpus with poor survival rates. Surgical resection remains the mainstay of treatment. Adjuvant radiation therapy improves survival. The age of the patient, myometrium invasion, tumor size, and positive peritoneal cytology were found to be prognostic factors.