Uterine malignancies

Abstract

The American Cancer Society estimates that, in 2004, endometrial cancer will be the most common gynecologic malignancy in North America, accounting for 40,320 new cases and 7,090 deaths. Endometrial cancer is primarily a disease of postmenopausal women, with the incidence peaking between the ages of 55 and 65 years. Among Caucasian women, the incidence of uterine cancer is about twice that of African-American women; however, African- American women are less likely to survive this disease. Between 1992 and 1999, the 5-year survival for Caucasian women was 86% as compared to 60% for African-American women.1 This disparity in survival has persisted over the past 25 years and may reflect the preponderance of tumors in African-Americans with unfavorable histology, higher grade and, possibly, more-advanced stage at diagnosis. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.