The utility of pretreatment barium enema in women with endometrial carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to assess the clinical utility of a pretreatment barium enema in women with endometrial cancer.


METHODS
The medical records of 249 patients with endometrial cancer who underwent a pretreatment barium enema were retrospectively reviewed. The patients' charts were abstracted for demographic information, stage, grade, histology, current disease status, and barium enema results.


RESULTS
The pretreatment barium enema was normal in 122 (49%) patients. Diverticulosis was the most common abnormality, reported in 112 (45%) patients. Apparent intraluminal abnormalities were found in 15 (6.0%) patients. Each of these patients underwent colonoscopy prior to treatment for endometrial carcinoma. During colonoscopy, benign colonic polyps were removed from 11 (4.4%) patients. Primary colonic adenocarcinoma was discovered in polypoid lesions removed from 2 (0.8%) patients. Significant luminal narrowing from extrinsic lesions was noted in 2 (0.8%) patients, one at the rectosigmoid and the other at the cecum. No patient was found to have colonic mucosal involvement by endometrial cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study do not justify routine pretreatment barium enema to assess the colonic mucosa for metastatic involvement by endometrial cancer or as a screening tool for colorectal cancer in women with endometrial cancer.
Pearl
M L
ML
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 11794-8091, USA. Mpearl@epo.som.sunysb.edu
Griffen
T
T
Valea
F A
FA
Chalas
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D004733:Enema; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D001466:Barium Sulfate