Vaginal recurrence of adenocarcinoma of the endometrium

During a 28-year period, 949 patients were treated for adenocarcinoma of the endometrium at the University of Minnesota Hospitals. Eighty-one of these patients presented with vaginal recurrence. The incidence of vaginal recurrence for patients receiving primary therapy at this institution was 0.9%. Sixty-nine percent of patients presented with vaginal bleeding, but 22% were asymptomatic. Seventy-three percent of patients eventually died of disease. Seventy-five percent of recurrences occurred within 3 years of primary therapy, but much longer intervals were noted. In patients with isolated vaginal recurrences, the interval to recurrence directly correlated with survival (P < 0.0005). The poor outcome of these patients indicates a need for evaluation of adjuvant therapy.