The prognosis in early endometrial carcinoma. The importance of uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC), age, FIGO grade and nuclear grade.

278 patients with either stage I or II endometrial carcinoma treated between January 1979 and January 1982 were reviewed, particularly as regards certain prognostic factors. Uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC), FIGO grade 3, nuclear grade 3, and age were the major independent prognostic factors. UPSC was diagnosed in 8% of the patients. The cancer mortality in the non-UPSC group was 7%, vs. 41% in the UPSC group. In the latter group all the deaths occurred within 2 1/2 years. Poorly differentiated non-UPSC had the same cancer death rate as UPSC, but usually had a completely different histological pattern. There was no significant difference in survival between stage I and stage II when corrected for FIGO grade and nuclear grade.