Impact of adjuvant therapy on survival of patients with early-stage uterine papillary serous carcinoma

Purpose: To determine the efficacy of adjuvant therapy in patients with early-stage uterine papillary serous carcinoma. Methods and Materials: Data were collected on all surgically staged Stage I-II uterine papillary serous carcinoma patients. Statistical analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression methods. Results: Of 68 patients, 50 had Stage I and 18 had Stage II disease; 35 underwent adjuvant treatment, including radiotherapy in 26, chemotherapy in 7, and combined RT and chemotherapy in 2. The remaining 33 were treated expectantly. The median follow-up was 56 months (range 1-173). The 5-year overall survival rate was 69%. Of 19 patients with disease limited to the endometrium, 10 received no additional therapy, 3 of whom developed recurrence. However, all 9 women who underwent adjuvant treatment remained free of disease. Patients receiving adjuvant therapy with chemotherapy or radiotherapy had a prolonged 5-year overall and disease-free survival compared with those who were treated expectantly (85% vs. 54%, p = 0.002 for overall survival and 85% vs. 49%,p = 0.01 for disease-free survival). In multivariate analysis, adjuvant therapy (p = 0.035) and the absence of lymphovascular space invasion (p = 0.001) remained as independent prognostic factors for improved survival. Conclusion: Adjuvant therapy with chemotherapy or radiotherapy improves the survival of women with early-stage uterine papillary serous carcinoma. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc.