A rare case of uterine carcinosarcoma in a 21‑year‑old woman with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome: A case report

Uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS) is a rare and aggressive malignancy that typically affects postmenopausal women. Its occurrence in young adults, particularly due to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC), is exceptionally uncommon. The present report describes a case of a 21‑year‑old woman with persistent uterine bleeding who was found to have a uterine mass with para‑aortic and pelvic lymphadenopathy and multiple pulmonary metastases. To control bleeding and obtain a definitive diagnosis, the patient underwent a total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo‑oophorectomy. Histopathological examination revealed International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IVB UCS. This manifested as poorly differentiated carcinoma and heterologous sarcomatous components with chondrosarcomatous and rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation. Comprehensive genomic profiling identified a BRCA1 frameshift mutation, a TP53 splice‑site mutation, a PIK3CA mutation and a positive homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) signature. After genetic counseling, germline genetic testing for BRCA1 and TP53 was performed. This confirmed a pathogenic germline BRCA1 mutation. The patient was treated with four cycles of paclitaxel and carboplatin, followed by an additional four cycles of combination chemotherapy with durvalumab. The patient achieved a complete radiologic response. Maintenance therapy with durvalumab and olaparib was initiated, and the patient has remained progression‑free for 10 months. To the best of our knowledge, this represents one of the youngest reported cases of UCS associated with HBOC. The case highlights the value of genomic profiling and germline testing for personalized treatment strategies. The successful use of platinum‑based chemotherapy, immune checkpoint blockade and poly (ADP‑ribose) polymerase inhibition to treat this HRD‑positive, mismatch repair‑proficient tumor demonstrates the potential of biomarker‑driven therapy for UCS.