A review of screening and early detection of endometrial cancer and use of risk assessment.

Although the majority of patients with endometrial cancer have a good prognosis, subgroups of individuals are at risk of more aggressive disease. Early detection programs should target individuals who have the highest risk of advanced disease, high-risk histology, and poorly differentiated tumors. This will afford the greatest improvement in survival. Screening of the general population is not cost-effective and indeed may incur iatrogenic morbidity. Recent data also suggest that routine screening of patients receiving tamoxifen citrate may not be indicated. This area is still being investigated. While screening is not appropriate for the general population, a strategy of early evaluation of postmenopausal bleeding with judicious use of endometrial biopsy is important for the early detection of endometrial cancer. Ultrasound is most effective in excluding pathology in symptomatic patients whose biopsy specimen is nondiagnostic. Fractional dilation and curettage is reserved for patients with abnormal vaginal bleeding who cannot undergo office biopsy or who experience persistent symptoms.