Introduction and Learning Objectives
CHAPTER 1
Introduction and Learning Objectives
In the United States, cancer of the body of the uterus (the uterine corpus) is the most common gynecologic malignancy and the fourth most common malignancy in women overall. Among uterine cancers, endometrial cancer is by far the most common, accounting for about 80% or more of cases. In 2025, an estimated 69,000 new cases of uterine cancers are diagnosed, and almost 14,000 women will die from this cancer.
Across all disease stages, 5-year relative survival is good- about 81% overall. However, among women with metastatic disease, 5-year relative survival falls to only 19.4%. Endometrial cancer is an exception to many cancers, in that most cases are diagnosed early — in fact, only about 11% are diagnosed after metastasis. This makes de novo metastatic endometrial cancer relatively rare, accounting for roughly 7600 new cases each year. An additional 18%, or about 12,400 cases, are diagnosed when the disease has spread regionally.
Until recently, the growth in the number of treatment options for advanced or metastatic endometrial cancer was relatively stagnant compared with other common malignancies, such as breast, lung, and colorectal cancer. At present, treatment for most patients involves conventional chemotherapy, usually in combination with immunotherapy or an anti-angiogenic agent. Patients with tumors that express human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) may receive a monoclonal antibody or an antibody-drug conjugate targeting this receptor. Treatment options for recurrent disease remain limited.
This module will briefly review relevant anatomy and physiology and continue with a discussion of the pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and staging of endometrial cancer. A subsequent module will focus on contemporary management of the disease.
Learning Objectives
- Summarize the epidemiology of endometrial cancer.
- Understand the pathophysiology of endometrial cancer, including key histologic
- Describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and prognosis of endometrial cancer.
- Describe the staging of endometrial cancer.
