Prognostic features of endometrial cancer metastasis to the central nervous system

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 26;17(8):e0268794. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268794. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Objectives: Central nervous system metastases (CNSm) secondary to endometrial cancer (EC) are rare. As a result, prognostic factors for this patient population are not well described.

Methods: EC patients with CNSm were identified retrospectively from two academic centers. EC patients without CNSm (non-CNSm) were used as controls. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used for analysis of categorial variables. Wilcoxon tests were used for quantitative measures. Overall survival (OS) was compared with Log-rank test. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios for OS.

Results: 22 EC patients with CNSm and 354 non-CNSm patients were included. Compared to non-CNSm EC, the CNSm cohort was younger (58.5 vs 62.0 years, p = 0.018) with lower BMI (27.7 vs. 33.7 kg/m2, p = 0.005), and had more advanced stages (p = ≤ 0.001), grade 3 tumors (81.8% CNSm vs 25.1% non CNSm, p≤0.001) and serous histology (22.7% vs 8.5%, p = 0.010). Median survival after CNSm diagnosis was 9 months (95% CI 4, NA). CNSm was a strong poor prognostic factor (HR death 4.96, p = 0.022). Improved OS was seen with CNS as the only disease site (83m CNSm only vs 30m additional sites, p = 0.007) and less than five CNSm (49m <5 vs. 23m ≥5, p = 0.004). Surgical resection of CNSm (OS 83m surgery vs 33m no surgery, p = 0.003) or multimodal therapy (83m multimodal vs 33m single therapy, p = 0.027) resulted in longer OS.

Conclusions: CNSm is a poor prognostic factor in EC, however, low volume disease with aggressive treatment may result in more favorable survival outcomes.

MeSH terms

  • Central Nervous System
  • Central Nervous System Neoplasms*
  • Endometrial Neoplasms*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms, Second Primary*
  • Prognosis
  • Retrospective Studies

Grants and funding

The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.