Contemporary issues in the multi-disciplinary management of early-stage uterine sarcoma.
Uterine sarcomas are rare heterogeneous neoplasms, comprising only a small percentage of uterine malignancies. There is a diverse array of uterine sarcoma sub-types, each with distinct molecular, clinical, and behavioral features. In recent years, there has been significant advancement in all facets of the multi-disciplinary management of uterine sarcomas. Despite this, several challenges regarding optimization of treatment remain. Pre-operative diagnosis can be difficult, as imaging and biopsy may not reproducibly distinguish uterine sarcomas from benign entities. Early-stage uterine sarcomas are potentially curable with surgery; however, there remains a high risk of recurrence, and the use of adjuvant treatment is controversial. There is also a lack of high-quality data to guide best practices for fertility-sparing surgery in younger patients. Optimal management requires multi-disciplinary discussion by clinicians experienced in sarcoma management at specialized sarcoma centers, as initial management may have a profound impact on patient outcomes. In this review, we summarize and address many of these challenges facing patients with early-stage uterine sarcoma, and provide a comprehensive update on the clinical features, the molecular and genomic pathogenesis, and the current diagnostic and treatment landscape for these patients.
Authors
Watson Watson, Murtas Murtas, Chawla Chawla, Zhang Zhang, Rouzbahman Rouzbahman, Pulenzas Pulenzas, Toor Toor, Donnelly Donnelly, Han Han, Croke Croke, Mackay Mackay, Kim Kim
View on Pubmed