Morbid obesity and endometrial cancer: surgical, clinical, and pathologic outcomes in surgically managed patients

To evaluate surgical, clinical, and pathologic outcomes of patients with endometrial cancer managed with primary surgery when stratified by body mass index (BMI). A review of 356 consecutive patients undergoing primary surgical management of endometrial carcinoma by a single gynecologic oncology service from 1997 to 2003 was undertaken. Patients were divided into three groups based on preoperative BMI. Data regarding surgical and pathologic outcomes were compared. Twenty-two percent of patients had a BMI >40, 38% were 30–40, and 40% were 40 compared with 74% of patients with BMI 40 were more commonly diagnosed with grade 1 tumor than patients with BMI 40, extrauterine disease was encountered in 12% of patients. While surgical staging of morbidly obese patients is difficult, adequate lymphadenectomy can be performed safely; although aortic nodes are less commonly resected in this population. Staging remains important in obese women, as the risk of extrauterine disease, including lymph node metastasis, is similar to that in women with ideal body weight.