Pathology researchers publish article on rare form of uterine cancer
Posted on October 21, 2026
Pathology researchers have published a scientific article in the International Journal of Gynecological Pathology on uterine carcinosarcoma, a rare but highly aggressive form of uterine cancer.
Jing Zhou, M.D., Ph.D., a pathology resident at USA Health, and Hector D. Chavarria, M.D., an assistant professor of pathology at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, are the main authors of the article “Uterine Carcinosarcoma: Mutational Profiling of p53-Abnormal Tumors and Its Association with Histological Subtypes and Survival in an Underserved Population.” The paper was published online Sept. 14.
The researchers studied 27 patients with uterine carcinosarcoma, 74% of whom were African American. Their goal was to better understand the genetic alterations and microscopic characteristics of the disease and how those features relate to patient outcomes.
“Specifically, we investigated whether different types of sarcomatous components – classified as homologous or heterologous – were associated with distinct genetic profiles and differences in survival,” Zhou said. “We also wanted to characterize this rare malignancy in our patient population, which included a substantial proportion of African American women, a group historically underrepresented in cancer research.”
Carcinosarcoma involves a mix of two different tumor types: carcinoma, cancer of the surface lining, and sarcoma, cancer of the deeper structural tissues. Pathologists characterize tumors as either homologous or heterologous based on whether the structural cancer cells look like tissues normally found in that organ (homologous), or look out of place (heterologous).
The researchers found that nearly all the tumors had alterations involving the gene TP53, which normally helps prevent uncontrolled cell growth. But they also observed that the tumors’ microscopic appearances varied considerably.
“In our survival analysis, patients with heterologous tumors had significantly better disease-specific survival,” Zhou said, adding that the conclusion is based on a small number of patients studied.
The findings suggest that examining both the genetic characteristics and the microscopic appearance of the tumors may provide a more complete understanding of the tumors’ biological behavior.
“Our findings highlight that uterine carcinosarcoma is not a uniform disease,” Zhou said. “Even among tumors sharing similar genetic alterations, differences in their microscopic characteristics may be associated with different clinical outcomes.”
She said that while the results are preliminary, the study may help guide future research toward more individualized approaches to predicting patients’ prognosis and managing the disease.
Other authors include pathology residents Marianne E. Yassa, M.D., and Delaney Yu, D.O.
