Risk of ovarian cancer is ten times higher in women with severe endometriosis – Health and Medicine

2024-08-31 00:41:10

Severe endometriosis, although it has been associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer, however, until now, the associations between the parameters related to this pathology and the history of ovarian cancer have not been properly identified.

Endometriosis is a disease in which the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the pelvic cavity and causes lesions in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or behind the uterus. The most serious forms are found, as cysts, inside the ovaries, and are known as endometriomas and deep infiltrating endometriosis, which affects organs close to the uterus, such as the ovaries, bladder and intestines.

This pathology, although it has been associated with a higher risk of ovarian cancer, however, the associations between the subtypes of endometriosis and the history of ovarian cancer have not been well identified.

In this regard, a study conducted by researchers from the Huntsman Cancer Institute of the University of Utah, Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine of the University and Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine of Boston University (USA) determined that women with endometriosis strong. They are ten times more likely to develop lung cancer, compared to those who do not have the disease, according to what was published in the ‘Journal of the American Medical Association’.

Previous studies have already shown a causal link between endometriosis and ovarian cancer. But using the Utah Population Database (a repository of linked health records located at the Huntsman Cancer Institute), researchers were able to analyze the incidence rates of different types of endometriosis and subtypes of ovarian cancer. for the first time, finding that women who suffer from the worst types of endometriosis are more likely to develop type I ovarian cancer.

Researchers note that women with any type of endometriosis have a 4.2 times higher risk of developing ovarian cancer compared to those without endometriosis. They also have a seven-fold increased risk of developing type I ovarian cancer, which grows slowly but also does not respond well to chemotherapy.

“This has an impact on clinical care for people with severe endometriosis, because they will benefit from counseling about ovarian cancer risk and prevention. “This study may also lead to additional studies to understand the mechanisms by which specific types of endometriosis cause different types of ovarian cancer,” according to Prof. Jennifer Doherty, researcher and co-director of the Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program at Huntsman Cancer Institute.

The current prevention measure is that women with endometriosis can undergo surgeries, such as hysterectomy or removal of the ovaries. However, in the opinion of the authors of the work, these are invasive procedures and they think it is necessary to do more research to verify if they are appropriate measures. LDB (SyM).