Outcomes of carcinosarcoma in a tertiary care institution in India

BACKGROUND: Carcinosarcoma is a rare malignancy, and reports are often mixed along with other sarcomas. The literature on uterine carcinosarcoma per se is sparse. AIMS: This study aims to evaluate the demography, survival, and optimal treatment strategy of uterine carcinosarcoma. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A tertiary care center in India. The study design was descriptive with survival analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of all 18 patients admitted with uterine carcinosarcoma between January 2011 and December 2015 were reviewed. Baseline characteristics and outcomes were studied. Survival analysis was done using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared between treatment groups using the Log-rank test. RESULTS: The total number of uterine malignancies operated in our center over this time period was 311 of which 18 were carcinosarcomas (5.7%). Median age of presentation was 61 years (36–77 years). Most women (94%) were postmenopausal and 67% of them presented with postmenopausal bleeding. Over half of the patients (56%) presented late (Stage III or IV). Only 11 (61%) had adjuvant treatment and 7 patients had expired at the time of follow-up. The median survival was 284 days (95% confidence interval 107–461). Patients who received adjuvant therapy did better compared to those who did not (P = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Carcinosarcomas are aggressive tumors of postmenopausal women who present with bleeding or discharge per vaginum. In spite of adequate surgical staging followed by adjuvant therapy, survival remains poor. Improvements in early detection and optimal therapy need to be made.