Multivariate analysis of prognostic factors in patients with endometrial cancer

Abstract Objective: The prognostic factors of endometrial cancer are closely correlated. A multivariate analysis was carried to compare the importance of each factor. Method: A multivariate analysis was performed of 19 clinicopathologic prognostic factors obtained from 144 endometrial cancer patients who had been surgically treated in our hospital between January 1971 and December 1993. Results: Significant prognostic factors according to the Kaplan-Meier method were depth of invasion, vascular invasion, nuclear grade, cervical involvement, lymph node metastases, intraperitoneal cytology, serous adenocarcinoma, DNA ploidy, type of hysterectomy and surgery only or combined with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Multivariate analysis showed that vascular invasion and nuclear grade were more significant than structural grade, histologic subtype or DNA ploidy. Conclusion: Multivariate analysis is useful for extracting important recurrent factors from mutually related prognostic factors. Vascular invasion and nuclear grade are singled out as the most useful histologic prognostic factors.