Surgical treatment of endometrial cancer

The main treatment of endometrial cancer is surgery. Total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) is the principal surgery for stage I disease. Recently, pelvic lymph node dissection and para-aortic node biopsy is also being performed. For stage II, many surgeons in Japan prefer to do radical hysterectomy, however, its validity is questioned. For stages III and IV, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy are combined, however, TAH and BSO should be performed at least. In 1988, FIGO changed the endometrial cancer staging system from clinical to surgical. According to this new staging, laparotomy should be done first and treatment plans made depending on the result of surgical finding.