Peritoneal cytology in stage I endometrial cancer.

Peritoneal lavage fluid for cytologic study was obtained in 73 patients undergoing primary surgery for stage I endometrial adenocarcinoma. Preoperative irradiation was not used. Malignant cells consistent with endometrial adenocarcinoma were present in eight (11 percent) cases. There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients with "positive peritoneal cytology" when patients with grade 1 and 2 tumors, five of 45 (11 percent), were compared with those with grade 3 and adenosquamous tumors, three of 28 (10.7 percent), between deeply invasive tumors, two of 20 (10 percent), and those with superficial or no invasion, six of 52 (11.5 percent), between stage IA, six of 42 (14.5 percent) and stage IB disease, two of 31 (6.5 percent). The prevalence of positive peritoneal cytology in this series of 73 patients who received no preoperative irradiation is similar to that reported in other series where preoperative irradiation was used. No correlation between positive peritoneal cytology and other reported poor prognostic indicators in stage I endometrial adenocarcinoma was found.