Open AccessClinical actionability of molecular targets in endometrial cancer
Author(s) -
Mary Ellen Urick,
Daphne W. Bell
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
nature reviews. cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 19.575
H-Index - 442
eISSN - 1474-1768
pISSN - 1474-175X
DOI - 10.1038/s41568-019-0177-x
Subject(s) - endometrial cancer , subtyping , serous fluid , medicine , disease , oncology , cancer , incidence (geometry) , carcinoma , clear cell , gynecology , physics , optics , computer science , programming language
Endometrial cancer accounts for ~76,000 deaths among women each year worldwide. Disease mortality and the increasing number of new diagnoses make endometrial cancer an important consideration in women's health, particularly in industrialized countries, where the incidence of this tumour type is highest. Most endometrial cancers are carcinomas, with the remainder being sarcomas. Endometrial carcinomas can be classified into several histological subtypes, including endometrioid, serous and clear cell carcinomas. Histological subtyping is currently used routinely to guide prognosis and treatment decisions for endometrial cancer patients, while ongoing studies are evaluating the potential clinical utility of molecular subtyping. In this Review, we summarize the overarching molecular features of endometrial cancers and highlight recent studies assessing the potential clinical utility of specific molecular features for early detection, disease risk stratification and directing targeted therapies.