endometrial carcinoma

1. Endometrial Carcinoma
Abdullatiff Sami Al-Rashed
Block 3.1
KFU
Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia

2. Objectives
• Anatomy
• Definition
• Etiology
• Pathophysiology & Genetics
• Types
• Signs & Symptoms
• Diagnosis & Staging
• Treatment
• Prognosis

3. Anatomy

4. Definition
• Endometrial cancer is a type
of cancer that begins in the
uterus.
• The uterus is the hollow, pear-
shaped pelvic organ in women
where fetal development
occurs.
• Endometrial cancer begins in
the layer of cells that form the
lining (endometrium) of the
uterus.

6. Etiology & Risk Factors
• The exact causes of endometrial cancer is
unknown.
• There are some risk factors increase the
chance to have the cancer:

7. Etiology & Risk Factors

8. Pathophysiology
• Fibroblast growth factor
receptor 2 (FGFR2) is a
tyrosine kinase receptor
involved in many biological
processes.
• Mutations in FGFR2 have
been reported in up to 10-
12% of endometrial
carcinomas identical to those
found in congenital
craniofacial disorders.

9. Pathophysiology

10. Genetics
• Uterine cancer may run in
families where colon
cancer is hereditary
• Women in families with
hereditary non-polyposis
colorectal cancer
(HNPCC), or Lynch
syndrome, have a higher
risk for uterine cancer.

11. Types

12. Signs & Symptoms

13. Diagnosis
• Transvaginal ultrasound:
– To assess endometrial thickness
• Endometrial biopsy:
– To confirm the diagnosis
• Hysteroscopically directed biopsy
• Pelvic MRI

14. Staging

15. Treatment
• Treatment depends on the stage
and grade of the cancer and the
general health of the woman.

16. Treatment
• Stage 1a cancers, surgery with total abdominal
hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy
is usually sufficient treatment.

17. Treatment
• Women with stage 1b or 2
disease adjuvant pelvic
radiotherapy is given, which
reduces the rate of local
recurrence.
• Radiotherapy may be used as
the primary treatment in women
unfit to undergo surgery or in
women with locally advanced
disease (stage 3 and 4a).

18. Treatment
• Chemotherapy using carboplatin and paclitaxel, or
cisplatin and doxorubicin can improve disease
control and symptoms in patients with recurrent
disease but the impact on survival is limited.

19. Prognosis
• Endometrial cancer has the best prognosis of all the
gynecological cancers.
• Poor prognostic indicators include older age,
advanced stage, high-grade tumors and
adenosquamous histology.

20. Prognosis
5-year survival:

21. Conclusion
• Endometrial cancer begins in the layer of cells that form the
lining (endometrium) of the uterus.
• The exact causes of endometrial cancer is unknown.
• Obesity, hormonal imbalance and nulliparity are risk factors of
endometrial cancer
• Vaginal bleeding, Pelvic pain, Dyspareunia, dysuria are the
symptoms of Endometrial cancer
• Treatment depends on the stage and grade of the cancer and
the general health of the woman.

22. References
• Oncology at a Glance Graham G. Dark 1st
edition.
• http://www.cancer.org
• http://emedicine.medscape.com