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Role of postmenopausal bleeding pattern and women's age in the prediction of endometrial cancer
Author(s) -
Salman Mehmet C.,
Bozdag Gurkan,
Dogan Selen,
Yuce Kunter
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.734
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1479-828X
pISSN - 0004-8666
DOI - 10.1111/ajo.12113
Subject(s) - medicine , endometrial cancer , menopause , endometrial biopsy , body mass index , vaginal bleeding , postmenopausal bleeding , obstetrics , gynecology , carcinoma , cancer , endometrium , pregnancy , biology , genetics
Background Women with postmenopausal bleeding should be evaluated efficiently to exclude endometrial carcinoma. Aims To estimate the risk of endometrial cancer using individual case characteristics among women with postmenopausal bleeding in whom the endometrial thickness is >4 mm. Methods Women with postmenopausal bleeding underwent clinical evaluation followed by transvaginal ultrasonography and endometrial biopsy. Clinical evaluation included age, body mass index, duration of menopause, number of bleeding episodes and amount of bleeding. Results This study included 142 women, and endometrial carcinoma was found in 18 (12.7%). Older age, higher body mass index, longer duration of menopause, longer lasting bleeding episodes, higher amount of bleeding and recurrent bleeding episodes were the clinical characteristics associated with endometrial cancer. However, multivariate analysis revealed >55 years of age during postmenopausal bleeding, history of recurrent bleeding episodes and bleeding exceeding 5 pads per day in each episode as significant parameters, which predicted the presence of endometrial cancer among women with postmenopausal bleeding. Conclusions Prompt evaluation is required in women with postmenopausal bleeding to exclude endometrial cancer. Transvaginal ultrasonography is a reasonable first‐line approach, and invasive sampling is required when ultrasonographic endometrial thickness is above 4 mm. However, about 90% of women with postmenopausal bleeding will finally be found to have a nonmalignant condition. Therefore, women who are at increased cancer risk should further be distinguished. This may be achieved using individual patient characteristics that result in a more accurate evaluation strategy with lower rates of unnecessary invasive procedures.