ABSTRACT
Endometrial carcinoma is the most common gynecologic malignancy in North America with an estimated 46,470 new cases and 8,120 resultant deaths in the United States in 2011 (Siegel et al. 2011). Endometrial carcinomas are classifi ed into two types based on microscopic appearance, clinical behavior and epidemiology. Type I endometrial carcinomas, which comprise 70 to 80 percent of newly diagnosed cases, occur at a median age of 60 years and are associated with chronic exposure to unopposed estrogen. They most commonly present with endometrioid histology and are often preceded by atypical endometrial hyperplasia. Type II endometrial carcinomas account for less than 20 percent of all endometrial cancers and tend to occur at an older age, approximately fi ve-10 years later than type I carcinomas. They are clinically more aggressive and have a poorer prognosis than type I tumors. They present with nonendometrioid histology, usually papillary serous or clear cell, and do not appear to be related to estrogen stimulation or endometrial hyperplasia.
