Efficacy of Fertility-Sparing Treatments for Early-Stage Endometrial Cancer—Oncologic and Reproductive Outcomes: Protocol of a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Background: Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynecological malignancy, increasingly affecting premenopausal women. While hysterectomy is the standard treatment, it eliminates reproductive potential, highlighting the need for effective fertility-sparing alternatives. Current ESHRE/ESGO/ESGE...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Life |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/7/1133 |
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| Summary: | Background: Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynecological malignancy, increasingly affecting premenopausal women. While hysterectomy is the standard treatment, it eliminates reproductive potential, highlighting the need for effective fertility-sparing alternatives. Current ESHRE/ESGO/ESGE guidelines recommend progestin-based therapies, often with hysteroscopic resection. However, these are based on limited pharmacological options and moderate to low-quality evidence. Novel and combination therapies have shown promise but remain absent from current clinical guidelines. This review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fertility-preserving treatments for early-stage EC, emphasizing the need to update current strategies based on emerging data. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis will follow PRISMA guidelines and the Cochrane Handbook. Eligible studies, including randomized and non-randomized designs, will assess fertility-preserving treatments for early-stage EC. Data will be extracted on complete response, recurrence, and long-term fertility outcomes. The GRADE system will assess evidence certainty. Risk of bias will be evaluated using RoB 2 for RCTs and ROBINS-I for non-randomized studies. Meta-analysis will be performed if sufficient data are available. Conclusions: This review will provide a comprehensive analysis of fertility-sparing treatments for early-stage EC, support personalized strategies, identify evidence gaps, and guide future research. Trial registration—Prospero: CRD420251032161. |
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| ISSN: | 2075-1729 |