Screening for endometrial cancer.

A cohort of 2586 asymptomatic women, 98% over the age of 45, 78% Caucasian, was screened using commercially available devices for endometrial mucosal sampling and cytohistological techniques; 1567 returned for rescreening one year later, and 187 for a third time. The prevalence of endometrial carcinoma was 7 per 1000 and the incidence 1.7 per 1000 woman-years. An unexpected observation suggested that endometrial hyperplasia does not necessarily precede or accompany endometrial carcinoma in asymptomatic women aged 50 or more. Occult endometrial carcinoma is a detectable disease, but the study did not permit the evaluation of the effect of its detection on mortality from the disease.