ABSTRACT
Cancer of the endometrium or endometrial carcinoma (EC) is the most common gynaecologic malignancy in developed countries and the second-most common in developing countries, where cervical cancer is more common. EC is a hormonally driven cancer for the majority of cases, with 80% of endometrial cancers being due to either an excess of oestrogen or lack of progestin. There are two main types of EC: Type-I, estrogen-related, which usually presents histologically as a low-grade endometrioid tumour and is associated with atypical endometrial hyperplasia. Type-II tumours account for 10%–20% of EC. In the very small subgroup of patients with serous EC confined only to the endometrium risk of recurrence is only very small compared to those with myometrial invasion. In women with well or moderately differentiated EC and minimal invasion, progestins may be used to induce regression if fertility is to be preserved.
