The mean age (+/- standard deviation) was significantly higher in symptomatic patients (68.8 +/-5.5 years) than in asymptomatic patients (61.1 +/- 6.7 years). The BMI (greater than 30) was also significantly higher in symptomatic patients (27%) than in asymptomatic (15%).
Significantly more patients had hypertension in the symptomatic group (52%) than in the asymptomatic group (30%).
While 68% of the symptomatic patients had not undergone a gynaecological examination, only 17% of the asymptomatic patients had not visited their gynaecologists in the last year. The difference was statistically significant.
Patients with symptomatic EC lived more frequently in rural areas (29%) than did asymptomatic patients (18%).
There were no statistically significant differences with respect to the presence of diabetes, socio-economic status and complications.
The histological findings indicated that tumour stages, as assessed through FIGO, did not differ between the patient groups.
There was evidence of significant correlation between the bleeding times and both disease stage and age. Longer bleeding times were associated with advance tumour stages and increasing age.
With respect to bleeding times, the 5-year disease-free survival was 77% for no bleeding, 83% when bleeding lasted less than 8 weeks, 74% when bleeding lasted 8 to 16 weeks, and 62% when bleeding lasted longer than 16 weeks. The corresponding overall survival rates were 86% (no bleeding), 98% (bleeding less than 8 weeks), 90% (bleeding 8 to 16 weeks), and 69% (bleeding more than 16 weeks).
With respect to tumour stage, the disease-free survival rates were 100% for patients with stage Ia, 87% for stage Ib, 66% for stage Ic, 63% for stage II, and 36% for stages III and IV. The corresponding overall survival rates were 100% for patients with stage Ia, 95% for stage Ib, 93% for stage Ic, 78% for stage II, and 36% for stages III and IV.
Finally, the multivariate analyses indicated that age and FIGO stage were independent prognostic factor of EC, but bleeding time was not an independent early symptom.