title: Longstanding survival without cancer progression in a patient affected by endometrial carcinoma treated primarily with leuprolide.
abstract: We report here a case of a patient affected by endometrial cancer and treated primarily with leuprolide, the surgical approach being unfeasible due to her compromised conditions. The therapy was continued for more than 6 years, and no progression of the disease was observed. During this period, some histological and immunohistochemical evaluations of the tumour (morphology, grading, proliferation and apoptotic index, E-cadherin expression) were performed. Furthermore, the expression of m-RNA for luteinizing-hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) receptors was determined. The results showed a discrepancy between some biological parameters of the tumour and its clinical characteristics. In fact, despite features suggestive of a progression of the cancer (such as the increase of both tumour grading and proliferating capacity (MIB-1), and a fall in the reparative process (appearance of mutated p53, reduced expression of both bcl-2 and c-erb-2) being detected, neither local invasion nor metastatic lesions were clinically observed. This discrepancy might be due to the maintenance of high levels of E-cadhezin. Moreover, since this tumour was shown to express mRNA for LHRH receptors, new evidence is provided about the favourable impact of LHRH analogue treatment in patients affected by endometrial cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology, Perinatal Medicine and Human Reproduction, University of Florence, viale G. B. Morgagni 85, 50134, Firenze, Italy.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Noci
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bonfirraro
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Chieffi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arcangeli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cherubini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dabizzi
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Buccoliero
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paglierani
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Taddei
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016729:Leuprolide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011966:Receptors, LHRH / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011966:Receptors, LHRH; D016729:Leuprolide