Hormone therapy for patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer

Abstract

The "gold standard" treatment for endometrial cancer is completely staged surgery, followed by radiation or chemotherapy, based on the final pathological surgical stage and requirements. In the primary treatment of endometrial cancers, hormones are rarely taken into consideration after primary surgery. Primary treatment with hormones to preserve fertility in younger women with endometrial cancer is an attractive option, and many successful cases have been reported, although the majority of them finally received definite therapy, including total hysterectomy. The role of hormone therapy is often delayed in recurrent disease; response rates to progestins and tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors in advanced/recurrent endometrial cancers are approximately 15-20% and nearly ≤ 10%, respectively. This review is focused on updated information and recent knowledge on the use of hormones in the management of women with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancers.

Keywords: advanced endometrial cancer; estrogen; hormone therapy; progesterone; recurrent endometrial cancer.