title: Patterns of failure for conservatively managed surgical stage I uterine carcinosarcoma: implications for adjuvant therapy.
abstract: To evaluate patterns of failure and overall survival for patients with surgical stage I uterine carcinosarcoma managed conservatively without adjuvant therapy. A computerized database identified 27 patients whose conditions have been diagnosed with surgical stage I uterine carcinosarcoma from 1993 to 2002. Charts were abstracted for patient demographics, tumor characteristics, recurrence, and survival. Of 27 patients, 23(85%) did not receive adjuvant therapy after undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy. Five patients were stage IA, 14 were stage IB, and 4 were stage IC. Fourteen patients had either poorly differentiated endometrioid carcinoma alone or in combination with papillary serous carcinoma (61%) as their epithelial tumor component. The median nodal count was 9 (range, 3-21). Eleven patients are alive without evidence of disease with a median follow-up of 63 months (range, 12-164 months). Eleven patients had recurrence with a median time to recurrence of 13 months (range, 6-39 months), and all are dead of disease. Univariate analysis demonstrated that poorly differentiated epithelial or papillary serous histologic diagnosis was the only predictor variable associated with recurrence and, consequently, death (P = 0.04). Approximately 50% of patients with surgical stage I carcinosarcoma who are observed without adjuvant therapy will experience a recurrence. Because most patients will recur distantly, systemic chemotherapy should be considered for patients with early stage uterine carcinosarcoma.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA. charles.leath@amedd.army.mil
authors: Charles A
authors: CA
authors: Leath
authors: T Michael
authors: TM
authors: Numnum
authors: James E
authors: JE
authors: Kendrick
authors: Peter J
authors: PJ
authors: Frederick
authors: Rodney P
authors: RP
authors: Rocconi
authors: Michael G
authors: MG
authors: Conner
authors: J Michael
authors: JM
authors: Straughn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002296:Carcinosarcoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D018283:Cystadenocarcinoma, Papillary / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*