Synchronous Endometrial and Ovarian Cancer in Young Women: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Abstract. Background: Young women with endometrial cancer (EC) have an increased risk of synchronous ovarian cancer. The prognosis of women with synchronous endometrial and ovarian cancer (SEOC) is good. A high proportion of affected women have hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer syndrome (HNPCCEndometrial cancer (EC) is the most common female pelvic malignancy with a life-time risk of 4% (1). It is usually diagnosed at an early stage and has a good prognosis accounting for only 2% of cancer-related deaths (1, 2). The most common age at the time of diagnosis is between 65 and 75 years with a mean age of 69 years (3). However, young women may also be affected by EC. Specifically, around 10% of women diagnosed with EC are <50 years of age with a range of 7 to 20% reported in the literature (1-4). This subset of women with EC is characterized by an elevated risk of synchronous ovarian cancer and an increased prevalence of hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer syndrome (HNPCC). This has important consequences for the management, prognosis, and genetic counselling of young women with EC.In the general population of women with EC, synchronous ovarian cancer is a rare finding. In a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database analysis of 56986 women with ovarian cancer, for example, Williams et al. identified 1709 (3%) cases of synchronous endometrial and ovarian cancer (SEOC) (5). Young women with EC, however, have a significantly higher risk of SEOC with a range of 11 to 29% reported in the literature (4, 6-11). The typical histology of SEOC is endometrioid adenocarcinoma in both the endometrium and the ovary, which is found in >70% of cases (12). Based on this high rate of histological congruence among SEOC cases, a monoclonal origin has been suggested (13). Specifically, 969

An Analysis of Clinical, Surgical, Pathological and Molecular Characteristics of Endometrial Cancer According to Mismatch Repair Status. A Multidisciplinary Approach

“…Indeed, data in literature suggested to preserve ovaries in patients younger than 45 years, the choice to add BSO also for young patients was justified by the purpose to prevent the risk of ovarian cancer increased in patients with LS [ 39 , 40 ]. Although in our study patients with LS did not have a higher incidence of endometrial-ovarian synchronous tumors (11%, Table 1 ), in other studies, synchronous ovarian cancer was identified in about 21% of cases (in no-LS ECs, the prevalence of synchronous ovarian cancer may be approximately 4% to 5%) [ 41 , 42 ]. Due to this, the risk and benefits of these choices must be extensively discussed with the patient [ 43 , 44 ].…”

G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs)-Mediated Calcium Signaling in Ovarian Cancer: Focus on GPCRs activated by Neurotransmitters and Inflammation-Associated Molecules

“…Additionally, in other onco-gynecological pathologies, such as the endometrial cancer, qRT-PCR analysis of patient samples indicated that B1 is upregulated in grade 1 and grade 2 tumors and downregulated in grade 3 tumors, while B2 is upregulated in grade 2 tumors and downregulated in grade 3 tumors [95]. Moreover, among patients experiencing synchronous gynecologic cancers, the most important percentage is represented by synchronous ovarian and endometrial cancers [96,97]. Furthermore, changes in bradykinin expression in the TOV112 ovarian cells [94] might be confusing due to the origin of this cell line derived from patients affected by primary malignant adenocarcinoma and endometrioid carcinoma.…”

The role of ultrasound examination in the management of a patient with hemoperitoneum and an ovarian mass: a clinical and diagnostic challenge

“…Endometrial cancer usually presents with abnormal uterine bleeding, but this was not the manner of presentation in this patient. Ovarian metastasis is also a rare finding in endometrial cancer ( 2 , 3 ) and it is usually bilateral ( 4 ), whereas in the present case the metastasis was unilateral. Our results agree with those previously reported by other authors: ovarian metastases from endometrial cancer usually appear as vascularized solid tumor ( 4 ).…”