A multi-institutional cohort study of adjuvant therapy in stage I-II uterine carcinosarcoma.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the impact of adjuvant post-operative therapy in women with early stage uterine carcinosarcoma.


METHODS
After IRB approval was obtained at all sites, a multi-center retrospective study of women with FIGO stage I-II uterine carcinosarcoma diagnosed from 1997 to 2007 was conducted. Post-operative treatment included observation (OBS), radiation (RT), chemotherapy (CT) alone or with RT (CT+RT). Data analyzed included demographic and pathologic factors, adjuvant therapy outcomes, and time-to-event information. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate time-to-event functions. Cox regression modeling was used to examine the impact of selected covariates on progression free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).


RESULTS
111 women were identified: 94 (85%) had stage I and 17 (15%) had stage II uterine carcinosarcoma. Forty-four women (40%) did not receive adjuvant therapy (OBS), 29 (26%) women had adjuvant CT, 23 (20%) women underwent RT and 15 (14%) women underwent RT+CT. Seventy-three patients were alive without disease and 38 had progressed or died at the close of data collection. In multivariate analysis, CT (p=0.003), LVSI (p<0.0001) and a pre-existing cancer (p=0.004) were most predictive of PFS. LVSI was predictive of shortened OS (p=0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
In women with FIGO stage I-II uterine carcinosarcoma, adjuvant chemotherapy is associated with improved PFS compared to radiation or observation alone. Ongoing clinical trials will clarify the role of chemotherapy in women with this disease.
Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. lac6vz@virginia.edu
Leigh A
LA
Cantrell
Laura
L
Havrilesky
Dominic T
DT
Moore
David
D
O'Malley
Margaret
M
Liotta
Angeles Alvarez
AA
Secord
Christa I
CI
Nagel
David E
DE
Cohn
Amanda Nickles
AN
Fader
Amy H
AH
Wallace
Peter
P
Rose
Paola A
PA
Gehrig
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002296:Carcinosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D059186:Chemoradiotherapy, Adjuvant; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery