Cancer de l’endomètre

Endometrial cancer: A systematic review of HE4, REM and REM-B

INTRODUCTION

Endometrial cancer, one of the most frequent pelvic gynecologic cancer worldwide, currently has no biomarker used to assess it in daily practice. Nonetheless, human epididymis 4 (HE4) appears to offer the best prospects, alone or combined with CA125. This study sought to systematically review the work on HE4 from the first publications in 2008 until now.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Two independent reviewers searched the PubMed database with the terms "HE4″, "endometrial cancer", "endometrial carcinoma", and HE4 or human epididymis protein 4. Only original clinical research articles and meta-analyses, published in English, were included, with literature reviews and case reports excluded.

RESULTS

Studies were organized into 3 categories: diagnosis, prognosis, and recurrence/survival. Overall we identified 117 articles dealing with HE4 and endometrial cancer and selected 52 relevant texts: 46 articles, 6 meta-analyses. The sensitivity of HE4 for the diagnosis of endometrial cancer varied from 44.2% to 91% and its specificity from 65.5 to 100%, versus 24.1 to 71.5% and from 65.6 to 100% for CA125. Two meta-analyses of their combination produced areas under the curve (AUC): 0.83 and 0.86. Two available algorithms - the REM (risk of endometrial malignancy) and REM-B (risk of endometrial malignancy associated with BMI) scores - require more study. HE4 is also strongly associated with prognostic factors such as myometrial invasion, tumor grade, FIGO stage, and lymph node involvement. It also predicts recurrence and can serve as a monitoring tool, as reported by a 2018 meta-analysis with a hazard ratio of 2.15 (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

HE4, alone or associated with CA125, appears to be an important tool in the management of endometrial cancer, initially for diagnosis, but for assessing prognosis and survival. Other prospective and multicenter studies are necessary to confirm these hopes and be able to recommend the use of HE4 in regular practice.

[Endometrial carcinoma: An histopathological and histoprognotic study about 62 patients in a center in the Tunisian north]

Endometrial cancer is the most prevalent genital tract cancer in occident and the third most common cancer among women in Tunisia. It is dominated by carcinoma. The identification of prognostic factors allows a better understanding of its outcome and guides its therapeutic approach. We propose to describe the clinicopathological features and identify the histoprognostic factors of this cancer. It is a retrospective analysis of a series of 62 total hysterectomy specimens with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy from women with primary carcinoma of the endometrium, colligated in Anatomy Laboratory and Pathology Salah Azaiz Institute of Tunis over a period of 5 years, from January 2003 to December 2007. The median age was 60 years. At the time of diagnosis, 25% of patients were nulliparous and 86% were menopaused. The endometrioid adenocarcinoma was the most common, accounting for 84% of cases (5% of them were grade 3). A myometrial invasion superior or equal to 50% was observed in 40% of cases. 42% of cases were classified as stage IA, 14% in stage IB, 16% in stage II, 18% stage III and 10% in stage IV. 22% of patients had nodal involvement. Overall survival at 5 years was 81%. In multivariate analysis, stage IV, nodal involvement and brachytherapy have influenced this rate. Event-free survival at 5 years was 71%. It was directly related to stage and nodal involvement. Stage, histological type, tumor grade, invasion of more than half of the myometrium and lymph node involvement were the most important adverse prognostic factors, dictating an appropriate management of these tumors.

[Radiotherapy for endometrial cancer: experience of the national institute of oncology with 52 cases]

Le cancer de l'endomètre est le cancer gynécologique le plus fréquent en occident. Il concerne principalement les femmes ménopausées. L'objectif de notre travail est de rapporter l'expérience du service de radiothérapie à l'Institut National d'Oncologie (INO) dans la prise en charge du cancer de l'endomètre. Nous avons analysé rétrospectivement 52 cas de cancer de l'endomètre traités dans le service de radiothérapie de l'INO entre 2007 à 2009. Les données collectées à partir des dossiers médicaux de nos patientes concernaient les aspects épidémiologiques, cliniques, thérapeutiques et évolutifs de ce cancer. La médiane d’âge des patientes était de 57 ans, 87% étaient ménopausées. Le délai moyen de consultation était de six mois. Le maitre symptôme était des métrorragies chez 51 patientes. Le diagnostic histologique a été porté sur un curetage biopsique de l'endomètre dans 51% des cas. L'examen anatomopathologique a montré un adénocarcinome endométrioïde dans 92% des cas. Après le bilan, 27% des patientes étaient stade I, 30% stade II, 20% stade III et 1% stade IVA selon la classification de la Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie Obstétrique (FIGO). Après la chirurgie, 51% des patientes ont reçu une radiothérapie externe. La dose délivrée était de 46 Gray (Gy). Une curiethérapie du fond vaginal a été délivrée chez toutes les patientes. Sur le plan évolutif, 83% des patientes étaient toujours suivies en situation de bon contrôle de leur maladie, 8% ont eu une récidive locorégionale et 4% avaient des métastases à distance. Ainsi, le cancer de l'endomètre est un cancer dont le traitement repose sur la chirurgie. La radiothérapie est le traitement adjuvant principal.

[Endometrial cancer: survey of surgical practice in france in 2008]

OBJECTIVES

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy. We aimed to assess the management of this disease among French surgeons as regards to the French guidelines.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Six hundred questionnaires were given to surgeons during two national French Meetings in 2008. They focused on the surgeon (age, gender, center of work, number of treated cancers individually and in the center) and on the disease (initial work-up, surgical management). Three case reports related to endometrial cancer were proposed to assess the conformity of the French guidelines (two case reports about endometrioid carcinomas stages IB and II and one about serous papillary adenocarcinoma).

RESULTS

Nineteen percent of surgeons (n=114) answered the questionnaire. The French Guidelines were respected in less than 60 % in the answers of the three case reports (only 13.3 % of the answers were conformed in all the three cases). The surgeons who respected the recommendations took care of more than five treated patients per year (92.9 % versus 57.8 %, P=0.01), they were younger (41 year versus 49 years, P=0.01), and the post-graduation delay was shorter (9.1 versus 20.5 years, P=0.002). The center where the surgeon worked was not a determinant factor for treatment. The surgical procedures were mostly transverse laparotomy in 35.4 %. Peritoneal cytology and lymphadenectomy were provided in 69.9 % and 74.7 % of cases, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Despite the limits of our study based on volunteer answers of surgeons to a questionnaire, our results highlight the efforts of learned societies and medical authorities should be used to standardize the treatment of cancer. A reflection should be conducted on the basis of initial training and throughout a professional career to provide patients optimal care of their pathology.