The Value of Tumor Markers in Endometrial Carcinoma: Review of Literature

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy in more developed countries. Most endometrial carcinomas cases are diagnosed at an early stage with a tumor confined to the uterine corpus. Although most patients are cured by surgery alone, about 15% 20% with no signs of locally advanced or metastatic disease at primary treatment recurs, with limited responsiveness to systemic therapy. Although it has a comparatively low mortality rate compared with other gynaecological cancers, it is capable of aggressive behaviour. Diagnosis at an early stage is the most important determinant of survival. Discovery of new diagnostic biomarkers/panels for early diagnosis of endometrial cancer is one of the main challenges of modern medicine. For endometrial cancers, there are no established serum markers. We will review the present knowledge regarding tumor markers, assessing how such markers could be applied to address in screening, diagnosis and monitoring of endometrial carcinoma.