Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in uterine papillary serous carcinoma

Uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) is an aggressive variant of endometrial cancer that frequently imitates serous carcinoma of the ovary in its clinical presentation and histologic appearance. Unlike the ovarian lesion, however, it is known to be particularly resistant to chemotherapy. A patient with a putative diagnosis of unresectable Stage IV ovarian cancer was treated with three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy containing paclitaxel and carboplatin. After a remarkable response, interval cytoreductive surgery was performed. A primary endometrial tumor with the pathologic features of UPSC was found. To our knowledge, the use of paclitaxel-containing chemotherapy in UPSC has not been reported. We suggest that this therapy might be useful in the treatment of patients with advanced uterine papillary serous carcinoma, as well as in an adjuvant setting. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.