OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics and DNA flow cytometry in uterine sarcoma. METHODS: A retrospective review of twenty six patients diagnosed and treated for a uterine sarcoma in Korea university hospital from 1990 to 2000 has been performed. DNA flow cytometry was performed in eighteen patients on paraffin-embedded archival tissue from uterine sarcoma. RESULTS: Of the twenty six patients 10 cases (38.4%) were leiomyosarcoma, 7 cases (26.9%) were endometrial stromal sarcoma and 9 cases (34.6%) were malignant mixed mullerian tumor. Median survival time was 36.0 months, and 3-year survival rate were 30.8%, 55.5%, and 16.6%, respectively. Main symptoms were vaginal bleeding and abdominal distension. Using the FIGO surgical staging criteria, we found the following distribution; 7 cases (26.9%) stage I, 4 cases (15.3%) stage II, 9 cases (34.6%) stage III and 6 cases (23%) stage IV. Mean survival time were 74.7, 28.5, 27.9, and 16.6 month, respectively. Stage I and II patients had superior survival rate than Stage III and IV (p=0.0008). Fifty percent of tumors were aneuploid and in aneuploid tumors S-phase fraction rate was increased significantly (P=0.023). Patients with mitotic rate under 10 in 10 HPF had superior survival rate compaired with over 10 in 10 HPF (p=0.024). CONCLUSION: Stage and mitotic rate were suggested as most important prognostic factor in uterine sarcoma.
Aneuploidy ; DNA* ; Flow Cytometry* ; Humans ; Korea ; Leiomyosarcoma ; Retrospective Studies ; Sarcoma* ; Sarcoma, Endometrial Stromal ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Hemorrhage