New Insights into Endometrial Cancer

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Endometrial cancer (EC) represents 90% of uterine cancer and to date its standard clinical approach is still surgery and/or chemo- and radiotherapy. This mini-review illustrates the state of the art in the disease management. In particular, we aim to point out the following features: the hormonal nature of the pathology and the role of steroid receptors in EC promotion and progression; the importance of molecular and histopathological assessment for driving the clinic decision and the promising immunotherapeutic approaches with immune checkpoint blockade. ABSTRACT: EC is the most common cancer in the female genital tract in developed countries, and with its increasing incidence due to risk factors, such as aging and obesity, tends to become a public health issue. Although EC is a hormone-dependent neoplasm, there are no recommendations for the determination of steroid hormone receptors in the tumor tissue and no hormone therapy has ever been assessed in the adjuvant setting. Furthermore, its immune environment has been slightly characterized, but recent evidences point out how EC microenvironment may increase self-tolerance by reducing the recruitment of cytotoxic immune cells to the tumor site and/or modifying their phenotype, making these cells no longer able to suppress tumor growth. Here we highlight insights for EC management from diagnosis to a desirable trend of personalized treatment.