Clinical factors affecting the diagnostic accuracy of assessing dilation and curettage vs frozen section specimens for histologic grade and depth of myometrial invasion in endometrial carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to investigate clinical factors affecting accuracy of dilation and curettage (D&C) and frozen section diagnosis of endometrial cancer.

STUDY

DESIGN

Clinical parameters affecting concordance of D&C or frozen section compared with final hysterectomy pathology were analyzed in 218 patients with endometrial cancer.

RESULTS

The overall concordance of grade between D&C and final hysterectomy findings was 35.2% (62/176). The following factors increased accuracy of D&C: depth of uterus cavity > or = 9 cm (P = .043), deep (> 50%) myometrial invasion (P = .03), P53 positivity (P = .023), grade 2 (P = .01), and grade 3 (P = .048). When comparing frozen section with final hysterectomy findings, the concordance was 69% (58/84) in tumor grade and 87% (67/77) in myometrial invasion. Postmenopausal bleeding (P = .004) and less resistance index of endometrial lesion blood flow (P = .005) increased efficacy of grade diagnosis by frozen section.

CONCLUSION

Discordance with hysterectomy assessment was most common for women with D&C or frozen section diagnoses of low-grade superficial cancers.