AN EVALUATION OF PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN UTERINE CARCINOSARCOMA

The traditional clinical and histopathological prognostic variables an d DNA ploidy were analyzed in 46 patients with histologically verified uterine carcinosarcoma. Twenty-three tumors were of the homologous an d 23 of the heterologous type. Evaluable flow cytometric DNA histogram s from paraffin-embedded tumor tissue were obtained in 39 patients. Th e overall 5-year cancer related survival was 31%. All tumors were of h igh malignancy grade. In univariate analysis of survival, extrauterine spread of tumor (P = 0.007), age (P = 0.008), and tumor diameter (P = 0.04) obtained statistical significance. Tumors with components of se rous or clear cell carcinomas had a less favorable prognosis (P = 0.01 7). There was no difference in survival between patients with homologo us and heterologous tumors (P = 0.39). Mitotic count, vessel invasion, and DNA ploidy did not obtain prognostic significance. In Cox multiva riate analysis, extrauterine spread of tumor (P 0.003) and age (P = 0. 004) were found to be the most important prognostic factors followed b y content of serous or clear cell carcinoma components (P = 0.027). (C ) 1997 Academic Press.