The inclusion of patients with endometrial cancer of all ages is important to ensure that clinical data collection is reflective of all patient populations, according to a study published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.
Over the last few years, researchers have noticed that the age of diagnosis for endometrial cancer has become younger. As such, it is appropriate to consider two distinct groups of patients with endometrial cancer: those under 50 years of age, and those over that age threshold. This is to ensure that risks and outcomes between distinct patient populations are recognized.
A team of researchers sought to better understand the interplay between different aspects of endometrial cancer and age. They carried out their study by reviewing the clinical records of patients with endometrial cancer who underwent surgery at a medical center. In total, the clinical records of 381 patients who were seen at the center between 2015 and 2021 were analyzed.
Read more about endometrial cancer causes and risk factors
The research team divided patients into those 50 years of age or under (17.5% of total patients) and those above (82.5% of total patients). This allowed them to make a number of observations. For example, the proportion of obese individuals were approximately the same between the two age groups (37.5% va 36.9%). However, patients 50 years of age or under were more likely to be diagnosed with stage one cancer compared with older patients; conversely, advanced cancer was more frequently observed among individuals over 50.
There were also specific differences in terms of tumor characteristics and molecular status between the two groups of patients. Researchers also found that high-risk cases were more commonly observed in patients over 50 than those who were younger. Treatment choices also differed, with those above 50 more likely to receive adjuvant therapy and vaginal brachytherapy. There was no significant difference in terms of 3-year survival outcomes between both categories of patients.
“Including elderly individuals in trials is essential for real-world data, while using prognostic markers in younger patients will be key to developing individualised treatment strategies,” the authors of the study concluded.
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