Endometrial cancer: molecular markers and management of advanced-stage disease

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common cancer of the female genital tract and has a 10 times higher occurrence in developing countries as compared to developed countries. The increased rate of occurrence is associated with epidemics like physical inactivity and obesity. Traditionally, it is divided into type 1 and type 2 EC. But with the advancements in technology and different fields of biology, The Cancer Genome Atlas has classified it into four different categories, namely, POLE mutated, microsatellite instability (MSI)/hypermutated, Copy no. low and Copy no. high EC. Different molecular markers that can help in early identification and diagnosis of the disease have been discovered. PTEN, KRAS, ARID1A, P53, CTNNB1, FGFR2, HER2/neu, etc. are some of the known molecular markers of EC. Obesity, parity, PCOS are some of the known risk factors for EC. Various treatment options which include surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are available for its management and treatment.