Adherence to ESGO guidelines and impact on survival in obese patients with endometrial cancer: a multicentric retrospective study

Objectives Obesity is known to be both a major risk factor for endometrial cancer and associated with surgical complexity. Therefore, the management of patients with obesity is a challenge for surgeons and oncologists. The aim of this study is to assess the adherence to European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) guidelines in morbidly obese patients (body mass index (BMI) >40 kg/m(2)). The secondary objectives were the impact on overall survival and recurrence-free survival.Methods All the patients who were treated for an endometrial cancer in the 11 cancer institutes of the FRANCOGYN group were included and classified into three weight groups: morbid (BMI >40 kg/m(2)), obese (BMI 30-40), and normal or overweight (BMI <30). Adherence to guidelines was evaluated for surgical management, lymph node staging, and adjuvant therapies.Results In total, 2375 patients were included: 1330 in the normal or overweight group, 763 in the obese group, and 282 in the morbid group. The surgical management of the morbid group was in accordance with the guidelines in only 30% of cases, compared with 44% for the obese group and 48% for the normal or overweight group (p<0.001); this was largely because of a lack of lymph node staging. Morbid group patients were more likely to receive the recommended adjuvant therapy (61%) than the obese group (52%) or the normal or overweight group (46%) (p<0.001). Weight had no impact on overall survival (p=0.6) and morbid group patients had better recurrence-free survival (p=0.04).Conclusion Adherence to international guidelines for surgical management is significantly lower in morbid group patients, especially for lymph node staging. However, morbidly obese patients had more often the adequate adjuvant therapies. Morbid group patients had a better recurrence-free survival likely because of better prognosis tumors.