The advantages and limitations of the new FIGO 2023 staging system for endometrial carcinoma from the perspective of the clinician and pathologist.

The Czech Republic is one of the countries with the highest incidence of endometrial cancer in the world. In June 2023, the Women's Cancer Committee of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) introduced a new staging system for endometrial cancer, FIGO 2023, which replaced the 2009 version. The FIGO 2023 staging system differs significantly from the previous version by incorporating the result of molecular classification of the tumour and some histopathological parameters - histological type of tumour, tumour grade and presence of substantial lymphovascular invasion - into the definitions of stage I and stage II. For stage I and II tumours, specific separate stages are reserved when the molecular profile of POLEmut or TP53mut is detected. Stages III and IV have also been modified, but the result of the molecular classification of the tumour and other histopathological parameters do not influence the staging. However, the molecular classification result should be reported for all stages. These changes have further strengthened the role of the pathologist in staging. The changes, which are partly based on the recommendations of the three European professional societies ESGO/ESTRO/ESP for the diagnosis and treatment of endometrial cancer, better reflect the biological behaviour of the tumour and significantly refine the prognosis of the patient at a given stage. On the other hand, the FIGO 2023 staging system is quite complex and requires expensive tests, which may pose a problem for its routine use in a global context. The implementation of the FIGO 2023 endometrial cancer staging system in daily practice requires the full involvement of all stakeholders.