[Twenty-two cases of uterine carcinosarcomas]

Abstract

Objectives: Twenty-two uterine carcinosarcomas were treated and followed in two centers over 10 years. We wanted to describe them and review the literature on the subject.

Patients and methods: We describe all uterine carcinosarcomas treated in Lille, over 10 years, both in department of gynecology, Hospital Jeanne-de-Flandre (11 patients), and in department of gynecologic oncology of Centre Oscar-Lambret (11 patients).

Results: For the 22 patients included, we give age at time of diagnosis, body mass index, pre and post surgical histology, details of surgical treatment, adjuvant treatment and evolution of the pathology. Mean age at time of diagnosis was 69.6. Sixty-eight percent of patients had overweight or obesity. Revealing symptoms were in 91% of cases post-menopausal meno- or metrorrhagias. Preoperatively, histology had an important number of false negative and, 57% of diagnoses were ignored in our study. All patients had first intention surgery, only 54% were yet at an early stage. Sixteen had association radiotherapy, eight of chemotherapy, two declined any adjuvant treatment. Ten patients died with a mean survival of 12.9 months, eight had a good evolution still at 35 months, two had recent pelvic relapse, two were lost to follow-up.

Conclusion: Uterine carcinosarcomas are rare, aggressive, yet not very well known tumors. First line treatment will be surgery with peritoneal cytology, hysterectomy, bilateral adnexectomy, pelvic and sometimes lumbo-aortic lymphadenectomy, omentectomy, peritoneal biopsies. Adjuvant chemotherapy has shown its interest in this type of tumor. Radiotherapy is still debated.