New clinical guidelines for endometrial cancer

New clinical practice guidelines for the treatment and management of endometrial cancer have been published to assist doctors and their patients to make informed treatment choices.

The Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Treatment and Management of Endometrial Cancer, commissioned and funded by Cancer Australia and developed in partnership with Cancer Council Australia, focus on the management of apparent early stage low and high risk endometrial cancer.

Endometrial cancer is the most common invasive gynaecological cancer in Australia, with the incidence increasing due to the ageing population and growing rates of obesity. It currently affects approximately 1 in 69 Australian women before the age of 75 years. In Australia in 2010, an average of six females a day were diagnosed with endometrial cancer.

Dr Alison Brand, from the Gynaecological Oncology Unit at Westmead Hospital, Sydney, and Chair of the guidelines working party, said that when apparent early stage endometrial cancer is more advanced than initially thought, treatment is a complex area with conflicting evidence. 

“While early endometrial cancer has traditionally been seen as a relatively simple cancer to treat with surgery, surgery alone may not be curative for patients found to have more advanced cancers,” Dr Brand said. “In these women, there has not been evidence-based definitive advice as to whether the addition of more extensive surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or a combination of any of these will improve survival rates. These guidelines document the evidence currently available to assist those involved in treating women with endometrial cancer to make informed choices based on individual patient circumstances.”

The guidelines include recommendations on:

• whether there is benefit for multidisciplinary care of women with low and high-risk apparent early stage endometrial cancer
• the evidence-based surgical approach for hysterectomy in low and high risk apparent early stage endometrial cancer
• the evidence-based surgical approach for lymphadenectomy in low and high risk apparent early stage endometrial cancer

(Source: Cancer Council Australia)