Parametrial and rectovaginal adenocarcinoma arising from endometriosis

Abstract.  Ulrich U, Rhiem K, Kaminski M, Wardelmann E, Trog D, Valter M, Richter ON. Parametrial and rectovaginal adenocarcinoma arising from endometriosis. Int J Gynecol Cancer 2005;15:1206–1209. Malignant extragonadal tumors arising from endometriosis are rare. We report on two cases. A 41-year-old gravida 1, para 1 (G1P1), with adenocarcinoma of the right parametrium arising from endometriosis and a 51-year-old G1P1 with endometriosis-associated rectovaginal adenocarcinoma were treated. Treatment included radical surgery plus radiation therapy. While the former patient was doing well 2 years after the primary diagnosis, the latter suffered a local pelvic recurrence 2 years later. Although there are no randomized controlled studies, radical surgery followed by radiation therapy seems generally to be the treatment of choice. The analysis of PTEN in various forms of endometriosis and its malignant transformation may help in understanding the early steps of tumorigenesis.