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Endometrial cancer is a type of tumour that arises in the tissue lining the uterus. Most endometrial cancers are adenocarcinomas; that is, cancers formed from cells that make and release mucus and other fluids.
There is an unmet medical need for endometrial cancer patients with mismatch-repair proficient disease. Here, the authors report the primary analysis of the FRUSICA-1 phase Ib/II trial evaluating fruquintinib plus sintilimab in this population, showing an ORR of 32.7%, a median PFS of 8.6 months, and manageable toxicity.
Metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with enhanced risk to develop endometrial cancer (EC). Here, the authors show that oleic acid, increased in MS, promotes endometrial cancer by supporting the stability of the rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine metabolism ODC1 and polyamine accumulation.
Combined hormonal therapy and CDK4/6 inhibition face resistance challenges in endometrial cancer. Here, the authors present a phase 2, one-arm clinical trial, where metformin is combined with letrozole (hormonal therapy) and abemaciclib (a CDK4/6 inhibitor) reporting safety and efficacy in patients with endometrial cancer.
In a recent study published in Nature Genetics, Kübler, Nardone et al. analysed the mechanisms underlying tamoxifen-associated uterine cancer and identified PI3K pathway activation as a key non-genetic driver.
Tamoxifen is an essential drug in breast cancer therapy. Unlike prevailing models of therapy-related tumorigenesis, tamoxifen acts by directly activating the PI3K pathway, bypassing the need for mutations in one of the most common driver genes in sporadic uterine cancer. These findings open avenues for investigating similar mechanisms in other drugs.
PapSEEK, a novel liquid-based cytology test, enabled the highly specific detection of endometrial and ovarian cancer in a retrospective study. Herein, I discuss potential applications of this tool, both for cancer screening of asymptomatic populations and for the early diagnosis of cancer in symptomatic women.
