Adenosarcoma of the uterus

The exact cause of adenosarcoma of the uterus is not always known. The development of these tumors has been associated with a few risk factors. Risk factors are associated with an increased risk of developing a condition; however, most people with these risk factors will never develop the condition. Factors that have reportedly been associated with development of adenosarcoma of the uterus include hyperestrinism (abnormally high levels of estrogenic hormones in the body), prior chemotherapy, prior radiotherapy and tamoxifen therapy (used as an adjuvant drug for breast cancer).

To our knowledge, there have not been reports of familial cases of adenosarcoma of the uterus, nor have there been reports of a particular gene being linked to this specific type of tumor. Some types of uterine cancer and/or endometrial cancer are known to be associated with hereditary cancer syndromes, but we are unaware of information about an association between these cancer syndromes and uterine adenosarcoma specifically.

Individuals who are interested in learning about how their personal or family history of cancer may affect other family members should speak with an oncologist or genetics professional. These health care providers can help determine whether genetic testing for an inherited susceptibility to cancer is appropriate and/or available.

The recommended treatment option for adenosarcoma of the uterus is surgery. Total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo- oophorectomy can cure this condition if it is only in the uterus. Adjuvant radiation therapy can help lower the chance of the tumor coming back. There is limited data and no agreement regarding the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy. Chemotherapy or whole abdomen radiation therapy is used for disease that has spread into the intraperitoneal region. The chemotherapy agents consist of either doxorubicin or a combination of cisplatin and ifosfamide with mesna. Ifosfamide is not available in an oral form; it is given by injection into a vein.

There are two main types of cancer: carcinoma, which develops from cells that line internal organs (epithelial cells), and sarcoma, which develops from cells in muscles, nerves, or connective tissues (stromal or mesenchymal cells). An adenoma is a benign growth of epithelial cells and is sometimes considered the beginning of a carcinoma. A uterine adenosarcoma is a cancer of the uterus that is made up of both benign epithelial cells ("adeno-") and malignant mesenchymal cells ("sarcoma"). Uterine adenocarcinoma is a cancer of the uterus that is made up of epithelial cells only.

You can find relevant articles on adenosarcoma of the uterus through PubMed, a searchable database of biomedical journal articles. Although not all of the articles are available for free online, most articles listed in PubMed have a summary available. To obtain the full article, contact a medical/university library or your local library for interlibrary loan. You can also order articles online through the publisher’s Web site. Using "adenosarcoma of the uterus" or "uterine adenosarcoma" as your search term should help you locate articles. Use the advanced search feature to narrow your search results. Click here to view a sample search.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) Web site has a page for locating libraries in your area that can provide direct access to these journals (print or online). The Web page also describes how you can get these articles through interlibrary loan and Loansome Doc (an NLM document-ordering service). You can access this page at the following link http://nnlm.gov/members/. You can also contact the NLM toll-free at 888-346-3656 to locate libraries in your area.