Abstract
Endometrial carcinoma, the second most common gynecological cancer, is increasingly affecting younger women, particularly due to rising obesity rates. The need for precise molecular tools is paramount for better categorization and risk stratification, especially in fertility preservation, as current methods often fall short. Fertility preservation is considered for early-stage, nonmetastatic cases, but the role of molecular classifications in this area remains underexplored. We present the case of a 35-year-old woman with grade 2 p53abn endometrioid endometrial cancer who sought fertility preservation. Her initial treatment involved hysteroscopy-guided resection, hormonal therapy with megestrol acetate (MA), and close monitoring, but the disease recurred within six months. A literature review reveals that fertility preservation in p53abn endometrial carcinoma is poorly documented, with variable outcomes. Many cases indicate a poor response to progestin therapy and a heightened risk of recurrence, highlighting the need for personalized treatment approaches. Additionally, our case identifies “a novel PTEN somatic mutation (Tier 2C)” that has not been previously reported in endometrial cancer. This case underscores the essential role of molecular profiling in clinical decision-making and the need for ongoing research into molecular pathways. Integrating molecular classifiers into routine practice is crucial for improving risk stratification and treatment outcomes, especially in young women pursuing fertility preservation.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability (data transparency)
If needed, data from this study are available upon reasonable request.
Code Availability (software application or custom code)
Not applicable.
References
Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, Laversanne M, Soerjomataram I, Jemal A, et al. Global cancer statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2021;71(3):209–49.
Corzo C, Barrientos Santillan N, Westin SN, Ramirez PT. Updates on conservative management of endometrial cancer. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2018;25(2):308–13.
Puppo A, Fraternali Orcioni G, Clignon V, Musizzano Y, Zavattero CA, Vocino Trucco G, et al. Where morphological and molecular classifications meet: the role of p53 immunohistochemistry in the prognosis of low-risk endometrial carcinoma (GLAMOUR Study). Cancers (Basel). 2024;16(6):1088.
Hamilton CA, Pothuri B, Arend RC, Backes FJ, Gehrig PA, Soliman PT, et al. Endometrial cancer: a society of gynecologic oncology evidence-based review and recommendations, part II. Gynecol Oncol. 2021;160(3):827–34.
Ran X, Hu T, Li Z. Molecular classification in patients with endometrial cancer after fertility-preserving treatment: application of ProMisE classifier and combination of prognostic evidence. Front Oncol. 2022;19:12.
Zhang X, Chen D, Zhao X, Wang C, He Y, Chen Y, et al. Application of molecular classification to guiding fertility-sparing therapy for patients with endometrial cancer or endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia. Pathol Res Pract. 2023;241:154278.
Chung YS, Woo HY, Lee JY, Park E, Nam EJ, Kim S, et al. Mismatch repair status influences response to fertility-sparing treatment of endometrial cancer. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2021;224(4):370.e1-370.e13.
Puechl AM, Spinosa D, Berchuck A, Secord AA, Drury KE, Broadwater G, et al. Molecular classification to prognosticate response in medically managed endometrial cancers and endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia. Cancers (Basel). 2021;13(11):2847.
Berek JS, Matias-Guiu X, Creutzberg C, Fotopoulou C, Gaffney D, Kehoe S, et al. FIGO staging of endometrial cancer: 2023. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2023;162(2):383–94.
Talhouk A, McConechy MK, Leung S, Yang W, Lum A, Senz J, et al. Confirmation of promise: a simple, genomics-based clinical classifier for endometrial cancer. Cancer. 2017;123(5):802–13.
Arciuolo D, Travaglino A, Raffone A, Raimondo D, Santoro A, Russo D, et al. TCGA molecular prognostic groups of endometrial carcinoma: current knowledge and future perspectives. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(19):11684.
Britton H, Huang L, Lum A, Leung S, Shum K, Kale M, et al. Molecular classification defines outcomes and opportunities in young women with endometrial carcinoma. Gynecol Oncol. 2019;153(3):487–95.
Rodolakis A, Scambia G, Planchamp F, Acien M, Di Spiezio Sardo A, Farrugia M, et al. ESGO/ESHRE/ESGE guidelines for the fertility-sparing treatment of patients with endometrial carcinoma. Hum Reprod Open. 2023;2023(1):hoac057.
Gallo A, Catena U, Saccone G, Di Spiezio Sardo A. Conservative surgery in endometrial cancer. J Clin Med. 2021;11(1):183.
Kim MK, Seong SJ, Kim JW, Jeon S, Choi HS, Lee IH, et al. Management of endometrial hyperplasia with a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system: a Korean gynecologic-oncology group study. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2016;26(4):711–5.
Pino I, Iacobone AD, Vidal Urbinati AM, Di Giminiani M, Radice D, Guerrieri ME, et al. Fertility-sparing treatment for endometrial cancer: oncological and obstetric outcomes in combined therapies with levonorgestrel intrauterine device. Cancers (Basel). 2022;14(9):2170.
Mutlu L, Manavella DD, Gullo G, McNamara B, Santin AD, Patrizio P. Endometrial cancer in reproductive age: fertility-sparing approach and reproductive outcomes. Cancers (Basel). 2022;14(21):5187.
Kommoss S, McConechy MK, Kommoss F, Leung S, Bunz A, Magrill J, et al. Final validation of the ProMisE molecular classifier for endometrial carcinoma in a large population-based case series. Ann Oncol. 2018;29(5):1180–8.
Lim P, Aquino-Parsons CF, Wong F, Dupuis B, Phillips D, Zhou C, et al. Low-risk endometrial carcinoma: assessment of a treatment policy based on tumor ploidy and identification of additional prognostic indicators. Gynecol Oncol. 1999;73(2):191–5.
Vermij L, Léon-Castillo A, Singh N, Powell ME, Edmondson RJ, Genestie C, et al. P53 immunohistochemistry in endometrial cancer: clinical and molecular correlates in the PORTEC-3 trial. Mod Pathol. 2022;35(10):1475–83.
Thiel KW, Devor EJ, Filiaci VL, Mutch D, Moxley K, Alvarez Secord A, et al. TP53 sequencing and p53 immunohistochemistry predict outcomes when bevacizumab is added to frontline chemotherapy in endometrial cancer: an NRG oncology/gynecologic oncology group study. J Clin Oncol. 2022;40(28):3289–300.
Agusti N, Kanbergs A, Nitecki R. Potential of molecular classification to guide fertility-sparing management among young patients with endometrial cancer. Gynecol Oncol. 2024;185:121–7.
Peng H, Jiang J, Li L, Hao Z, Lian H, Du H, et al. Mismatch repair deficiency and abnormal p53 expression has significant predictive value for progesterone resistance and endometrial tumorigenesis in patients with endometrial atypical hyperplasia receiving fertility-preserving treatment. Gynecol Oncol. 2024;186:154–60.
Momeni-Boroujeni A, Dahoud W, Vanderbilt CM, Chiang S, Murali R, Rios-Doria EV, et al. Clinicopathologic and genomic analysis of TP53-mutated endometrial carcinomas. Clin Cancer Res. 2021;27(9):2613–23.
Nierengarten MB. FDA approves capivasertib with fulvestrant for breast cancer. Cancer. 2024;130(6):835–6.
Fabi F, Adam P, Parent S, Tardif L, Cadrin M, Asselin E. Pharmacologic inhibition of Akt in combination with chemotherapeutic agents effectively induces apoptosis in ovarian and endometrial cancer cell lines. Mol Oncol. 2021;15(8):2106–19.
Kyo S, Nakayama K. Endometrial cancer as a metabolic disease with dysregulated PI3K signaling: shedding light on novel therapeutic strategies. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(17):6073.
Acknowledgements
There is no acknowledgment in this study.
Funding
This research received no specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Ibrahim Yalcin: Literature review, manuscript, submission, leading surgeon.
Hakan Kula and Alper Baysal: figures, manuscript, review.
Omer Salih Akar: figures, review.
Mehmet Kefeli: conceptualization, manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics Approval (include appropriate approvals or waivers)
Not applicable.
Consent to Participate (include appropriate statements)
Informed consent is taken from the patient for participation and publication.
Consent for Publication (include appropriate statements)
Informed consent is taken from the patient for participation and publication.
Attestation Statement
Data regarding any of the subjects in the study has not been previously published unless specified. Data will be made available to the journal editors for review or query upon request.
Conflicts of interest/Competing interests (include appropriate disclosures)
The authors declare that they have no competing interests. All authors declare that they have nothing to disclose.
Not applicable.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Yalcin, I., Kula, H., Baysal, A. et al. Challenges in Fertility Preservation for p53abn Grade 2 Endometrioid Endometrial Cancer: A Case Report and Literature Review. Reprod. Sci. 32, 3539–3545 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43032-025-01990-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Version of record:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43032-025-01990-9