Clinical analysis of 19 cases of uterine sarcoma

Park, Sang Jun; Han, Kyoung Hee; Cha, Dong Soo; Ha, Jong Won; Lee, Hong Jung

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The aim is to evaluate the clinical findings of uterine sarcoma we had experienced.
METHODS
This study was retrospectively reviewed 19 patients with uterine sarcoma who were managed at Wonju Christian Hospital between September 1982 and May 2003. We analyzed clinical features, type of surgery, adjuvant therapy, three year-survival rate, prognostic factors of uterine sarcoma, and the effects of postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy on death.
RESULTS
Our study included four histologic types: 8 patients with leiomyosarcoma (42.1%), 5 patients with endometrial stromal sarcoma (26.3%), 4 patients with malignant mixed Mullerian tumor (21.0%), 1 patient with angiosarcoma (5.3%) and 1 patient with both leiomyosarcoma and endometrial stromal sarcoma (5.3%) (Table 1). The cases were classified according to the FIGO staging system. 13 patients (63.2%) had stage I, 2 patients (10.5%) stage II, 2 patients (10.5%) stage III, 3 patients (15.8%) stage IV (Table 1). The three-year survival rate of uterine sarcoma was 53.8%, the most common symptom was abnormal vaginal bleeding.
CONCLUSION
Uerine sarcomas are aggressive tumors with poor prognosis, except when the diagnosis is low grade endometrial stromal sarcoma. The effects of postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy on death were not statistically significant. This is a retrospective review with small numbers and short periods. Prospective multicentric trials including a statistically evaluable number of patients are necessary.