Practical application of the 2023 FIGO classification for endometrial cancer

Since the last FIGO classification in 2009, numerous studies and recommendations have contributed to improving the management of endometrial cancer. The introduction of molecular classification (including POLE, MMR, and P53 status) has enabled better categorization of these cancers by defining specific patient groups, thus allowing for more tailored surgical management and adjuvant treatment. The data and analyses on molecular and histological classification developed in the 2021 guidelines from the European Societies of Gynecologic Oncology (ESGO), Radiation Therapy and Oncology (ESTRO), and Anatomical Pathology (ESP) have been utilized to develop the new 2023 FIGO classification for endometrial cancer. We are witnessing an evolution of the FIGO classification, shifting from a purely anatomical classification to a risk-based classification. It is important in pathology reports to specify the histological type of the tumor, the grade for endometrioid tumors, the presence or absence of lymphovascular space invasion, and the extent of the tumor (myometrial invasion, involvement of the serosa, cervix, vagina, adnexa, or neighboring organs). These essential points are included in the 2023 FIGO classification and will enable precise staging of the tumor. This article aims to clarify and simplify the classification of patients according to the new 2023 FIGO classification for endometrial cancer.