Treatment Option Overview
Surgery is often the principal means of diagnosis and is the primary treatment for all patients with uterine sarcoma. If the diagnosis is known, the extent of surgery is planned according to the stage of the tumor. Hysterectomy is usually performed when a uterine malignancy is suspected, except for rare instances when preservation of the uterus in a young patient is deemed safe for the type of cancer (e.g., a totally confined low-grade leiomyosarcoma in a woman who desires to retain childbearing potential). Medically suitable patients with the preoperative diagnosis of uterine sarcoma
are considered candidates for abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral
salpingo-oophorectomy, and pelvic and periaortic selective lymphadenectomy.
Cytologic washings are obtained from the pelvis and abdomen. Thorough
examination of the diaphragm, omentum, and upper abdomen is performed.
There is no firm evidence from a prospective study that adjuvant chemotherapy
or radiation therapy is of benefit for patients with uterine sarcoma.[1]
In one Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) study, the use of adjuvant doxorubicin did not alter the survival rate of patients with resected stage I or stage II uterine sarcomas; however, interpretation of these results is difficult because this study included some patients who received radiation and three types of uterine sarcomas that have variable responses to doxorubicin.[1][Level of evidence: 1iiA] However, because the risk of disease recurrence is high even with localized
presentations, many physicians have considered the use of adjuvant chemotherapy
or radiation therapy.[2]
A report of a study (GOG-150) that addressed radiation therapy versus adjuvant chemotherapy is awaited.[3]
References
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Omura GA, Blessing JA, Major F, et al.: A randomized clinical trial of adjuvant adriamycin in uterine sarcomas: a Gynecologic Oncology Group Study. J Clin Oncol 3 (9): 1240-5, 1985.
[PUBMED Abstract]
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Kohorn EI, Schwartz PE, Chambers JT, et al.: Adjuvant therapy in mixed mullerian tumors of the uterus. Gynecol Oncol 23 (2): 212-21, 1986.
[PUBMED Abstract]
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Wolfson AH, Brady MF, Mannel RS, et al.: A Gynecologic Oncology Group randomized trial of whole abdominal irradiation (WAI) vs cisplatin-ifosfamide+mesna (CIM) in optimally debulked stage I-IV carcinosarcoma (CS) of the uterus. [Abstract] J Clin Oncol 24 (Suppl 18): A-5001, 256s, 2006.
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