Distant recurrence of endometrial cancer more than 10 years after hysterectomy: a case report
Abstract
Objectives
Endometrial cancer is the sixth most common cancer among women and recurrence of after 10 years is extremely rare.
Case presentation
We reported a comprehensive review of histopathology, investigations and treatment regarding a woman with distant recurrence of endometrial cancer to rectus abdominis muscle after 23 years from the primary surgery. Previous published literatures of similar case were included into the review analysis. A total of 11 similar cases had been reported. Overall, 9 (81.8%) cases were stage 1 disease and only 2 cases were classified as stage II disease. The majority, 6 (54.5%) cases were endometrial adenocarcinoma. Majority of the cases shared the similarity of low grade endometrial cancer with positive oestrogen receptor immunophynetype.
Conclusions
Thus, the phenomenon of ‘cell dormancy’ was hypothesized to explain the mechanism of late recurrence for these cases.