Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prognostic utility of the FIGO 2023 staging system with/without molecular classification vs. FIGO 2009 in endometrial cancer. METHODS: A total of 172 patients between 2015 and 2020 diagnosed with endometrial cancer in our center were included in this study. Molecular classification subtypes were classified using DNA sequencing and immunohistochemistry. The clinical characteristics and patients' prognosis were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 172 patients, 10 patients were classified to the POLEmut, 30 patients to the MMRd group, 106 patients to the NSMP group, and 26 patients to the p53abn group. Stage migration from FIGO 2009 to FIGO 2023 occurred in 27.3% of the patients (47/172). Among the 47 patients, upstaging from stage I to stage II was observed in 43 patients. The transition from stage III to the early stage occurred in 2 patients, with downstaging from stage III to IA3. 9 patients were restaged as IAm disease with the FIGO 2023 m system. Downstaging to stage IAm was observed in 7 patients due to the presence of POLE mutation. In addition, 14 patients had stage IICm disease with the FIGO 2023 m. Eight patients were upstaged to stage IICm due to the presence of p53 abnormality, while 6 patients already exhibited stage IIC disease based on the FIGO 2023 classification. Patients with endometrial cancer with POLE-EDM had the best prognosis in terms of RFS and OS; those with MMRd and NSMP exhibited intermediate prognosis, with no significant difference between the two groups; and those with p53abn had the worst prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Molecular classification is prognostically essential in endometrial carcinoma. The integrated FIGO 2023 m system appears to enhance risk stratification relative to FIGO 2009 and non-molecular FIGO 2023. Formal comparison of staging systems is needed to confirm this improvement.