Conservative management of endometrial stromal sarcoma at stage III: A case report

Fertility-Sparing Management May Be Considered in Young Women with Uterine Sarcoma

Uterine sarcomas occur very rarely in young women. Hysterectomy, which is a standard treatment, may not be acceptable for those patients, especially nulliparous women. Fertility-sparing management may be an alternative. The aim of the study was to assess fertility-sparing management in patients with uterine sarcoma. Eleven patients were eligible for the study. Histopathologic types of the tumor included: adenosarcoma (n = 3), low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (n = 3), low-grade myofibroblastic sarcoma (n = 1), leiomyosarcoma (n = 1), leiomyosarcoma myxoides (n = 1), rhabdomyosarcoma (n = 1), high grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (n = 1). The mean age of the patients at the time of diagnosis was 27.4 years (range: 17–35) and the average follow-up 61 months (range: 12–158). Six patients received adjuvant treatment: megestrol (n = 5) and chemotherapy (n = 1). Recurrence was diagnosed in five cases. Median time to recurrence was 35 months (range: 8–90). Three patients conceived spontaneously following treatment and gave at least one live birth. In total, five full-term pregnancies were recorded and five healthy children were born. Fertility-sparing management may be considered in some patients with uterine sarcoma; however, it may not be appropriate in high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma. Patients with adenosarcoma may have a low chance of childbearing.

Uterine Preservation Treatments in Sarcomas: Oncological Problems and Reproductive Results: A Systematic Review

Uterine sarcomas are rare cancers, sometimes diagnosed in women of childbearing age. Hysterectomy is the standard treatment in early stages. The option of lesion removal to save fertility is described in the literature, but it is still considered experimental. The objective of this systematic review is to report on the available evidence on the reproductive and oncological outcomes of fertility-sparing treatment in women with uterine sarcomas. PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched between 1 January 2011 and 21 June 2021 for publications in English about women with uterine sarcoma treated with a fertility-sparing intervention. Thirty-seven studies were included for a total of 210 patients: 63 low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas, 35 embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas of the cervix, 19 adenosarcomas, 7 leiomyosarcomas and 2 uterine tumors resembling an ovarian sex cord. Conservative treatment ensured pregnancy in 32% of cases. In terms of oncological outcomes, relapse was related to histology and the worst prognosis was reported for leiomyosarcoma, followed by low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma, which relapsed in 71% and 54% of cases, respectively. The highest death rate was associated with leiomyosarcoma (57.1%). This study demonstrated that fertility-sparing treatments may be employed in selected cases of early stage uterine sarcoma.

Low-Grade Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma in a 22-Year-Old Maiden Female: A Rare Case Report from Syria

Endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) is a rare and challenging type of endometrial tumor, constituting only about 0.2% of all uterine malignancies and occurring in women 42–58 years of age. ESS is usually misdiagnosed as leiomyoma. They both have nonspecific symptoms, which makes the diagnosis of ESS difficult to achieve. As the ESS is infrequently encountered, optimal management is quite debatable. Here, we report a rare case of a 22-year-old Syrian female who presented with abnormal uterine bleeding; the preoperative diagnosis suggested leiomyoma while histopathological and immunohistochemical studies confirmed the diagnosis of LG-ESS stage IIA. Therefore, the treatment plan was shifted from a conservative myomectomy to a total hysterectomy with both adnexa. The aim of this case report is to draw attention to this uncommon tumor at young age of patients as well as to have awareness of the necessity to suspect this diagnosis especially with the presentation of rapid enlargement of uterine leiomyoma.

Fertility-sparing management of low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma: analysis of an institutional series, a population-based analysis and review of the literature

Background

Low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LGESS) is the second most common malignant mesenchymal tumor of the uterus which usually affects young women. However, the researches on the safety and feasibility of the fertility-sparing management of it are limited.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was performed including 5 women diagnosed with LGESS treated with fertility-sparing management at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from 2010 to 2019. Besides that, 1,070 patients diagnosed with LGESS in SEER database from 1973 to 2016 were examined. By using the Kaplan-Meier method, survival curves were estimated, and comparisons of statistical significance were performed with the stratified log-rank test within each group.

Results

Five patients with LGESS were enrolled in this study. All patients were submitted to fertility-sparing surgeries, after surgery, they all continued hormonal therapy for one year. Four out of the 5 patients recurred, to be more exact, 3 of them recurred in uterus and the other one in the uterus and iliac vascular region. They all suffered further surgery and all 5 patients were alive at the time of last contact. Besides, among these patients, two conceived naturally and delivered a healthy baby by cesarean section. Among 1,070 patients in SEER database, only 28 (2.6%) patients underwent local tumor excision, including excisional biopsy (39%), myomectomy (25%), laser ablation or excision (4%) and polypectomy (4%). There was no statistical significance was observed among TH±BSO, radical hysterectomy, subtotal hysterectomy and local tumor excision (P=0.29).

Conclusions

Our analysis indicated that for those young LGESS patients who wish to preserve their fertility, the feasibility and safety of fertility-sparing management should be considered after gynecological oncologist and gynecological pathologist making professional decisions.

Endometrial stromal sarcoma in a 20-year-old woman

Endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) is an uncommon and challenging condition comprising 10% of all uterine sarcomas and found in women 42-58 years of age. ESS is difficult to diagnose in young women as it masquerades as a leiomyoma. We report this tumour in a 20-year-old woman presenting with heavy and prolonged menses and urinary retention. She was not sexually active and did not give consent for pelvic examination. A preoperative diagnosis of a submucous leiomyoma with an adnexal mass was made. At laparotomy, the leiomyoma was found to be wedged between the cervix and the vagina, and was removed vaginally. A 5-6 cm retroperitoneal mass was adherent to the right pelvic wall, which was also removed. Histopathology of both specimens revealed ESS. The final diagnosis according to the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics classification was stage IV ESS. After oncology consult, she was referred for chemotherapy. She is now on follow-up.

Hormonal therapy in uterine sarcomas

Uterine sarcomas (USs) are a group of rare but aggressive uterine malignancies, accounting for only 1% of the malignant tumors of female reproductive organs. Due to the high rate of recurrence and metastasis, the prognosis of USs is poor. Given the high mortality rate and limited clinical benefit of surgery and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, hormonal therapy has shown good prospects in recent years. Hormonal agents include progestins, aromatase inhibitors (AIs), and gonadotropin‐releasing hormone analogue (GnRH‐a). According to the literature, hormonal therapy has been confirmed effective for recurrent, metastatic or unresectable low‐grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LGESS) and hormone receptor positive (ER+/PR+) uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) with favorable tolerance and compliance. Besides, hormonal therapy can also be used in patients with early‐staged disease who desire to preserve fertility. However, due to the rarity of USs, the rationale of hormonal therapy is generally extrapolated from data of hormone‐sensitive breast cancer, and present studies of hormonal therapy in USs were almost limited to case reports and small‐sized retrospective studies. Therefore, further systematic researches and standardized clinical trials are needed to establish the optimal hormonal therapy regimen of USs. Herein, we reviewed the existing studies related to the hormonal therapy in USs in order to provide reference for clinical management in specific settings.

Fertility-sparing surgery for patients with low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma

Purpose

To assess the clinical outcomes and fertility of young women with stage I low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) treated with fertility-sparing surgery.

Results

Seventeen patients with stage I low-grade ESS (stage IA, n = 6; stage IB, n = 11) were entered into this study. Adjuvant hormone therapy was administered to 15 (88.2%) patients. At a median follow-up of 39 months (range, 4106 months), 10 (58.8%) patients developed recurrence. All 10 patients had stage IB disease; among them, the first recurrence limited to the uterus was observed in 6 patients. All 17 patients were alive and disease-free at the time of last contact. After treatment, five of eight (62.5%) patients who attempted pregnancy conceived. No offspring had congenital anomalies.

Methods

Patients with stage I low-grade ESS who underwent fertility-sparing surgery between April 2001 and November 2015 were retrospectively reviewed.

Conclusions

Fertility-sparing surgery may be considered for young patients with stage IA low-grade ESS who wish to preserve their fertility.

Fertility-sparing management of low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma: analysis of an institutional series and review of the literature

OBJECTIVE

Low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LG-ESS) is a rare malignancy, often occurring before menopause. There is no consensus regarding its optimal management. Total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy precludes future fertility and may thus be undesirable by women wishing to maintain their reproductive potential. However, experience of fertility-sparing management in LG-ESS is very limited. In this paper, the disease outcome is presented in six young women with LG-ESS conservatively treated by combined hysteroscopic resection and hormonal therapy.

STUDY DESIGN

From October 2009 to February 2013, at the Gynecologic Oncology Department of the National Cancer Institute of Naples, six women, with early-stage LG-ESS aged 18-40 years who desired childbearing and/or retaining their fertility, were enrolled into a pilot study of fertility-sparing management. Diagnosis of LG-ESS was made on specimens from hysteroscopic resection performed on a presumed benign lesion. All patients were planned to be treated with adjuvant megestrol acetate for two years. Hormonal therapy was started within 6 weeks from the hysteroscopic resection, with orally megestrol acetate at 40mg daily, increasing gradually according to patient's tolerance to the recommended total dose of 160mg daily.

RESULTS

All patients were submitted to hysteroscopic resection in a one-step procedure. Five patients started megestrol acetate within 6 weeks from the hysteroscopic resection (one patient did not start hormonal therapy because of early pregnancy after the hysteroscopic resection). Hormonal therapy was well tolerated; one patient stopped megestrol acetate after 12 months because of self-supporting strong desire to conceive; the other four patients regularly completed the hormonal therapy. To date, all patients show no evidence of disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Although fertility-sparing management is not the current standard of care for young women with early-stage LG-ESS, our preliminary data are promising. Larger series with a longer follow-up are needed to further assess safety and efficacy of combined hysteroscopic resection and hormonal therapy.

Endometrial stromal tumours revisited: an update based on the 2014 WHO classification

Endometrial stromal tumours (EST) are rare tumours of endometrial stromal origin that account for less than 2% of all uterine tumours. Recent cytogenetic and molecular advances in this area have improved our understanding of ESTs and helped refine their classification into more meaningful categories. Accordingly, the newly released 2014 WHO classification system recognises four categories: endometrial stromal nodule (ESN), low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LGESS), high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (HGESS) and undifferentiated uterine sarcoma (UUS). At the molecular level, these tumours may demonstrate a relatively simple karyotype with a defining chromosomal rearrangement (as in the majority of ESNs, LGESSs and YWHAE-rearranged HGESS) or demonstrate complex cytogenetic aberrations lacking specific rearrangements (as in UUSs). Herein we provide an update on this topic aimed at the practicing pathologist.