Scientists have concluded that women with severe endometriosis have a 10 times higher risk of developing ovarian cancer than women who do not suffer from this disease.
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The study was conducted by scientists from the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, and the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine at Boston University. It was published in the journal JAMA .
Previous studies have shown a causal link between endometriosis and ovarian cancer. Now, for the first time, researchers have been able to analyze the incidence rates of different types of endometriosis and subtypes of ovarian cancer. The study included more than 78,000 women with endometriosis.
Women with endometriosis had a 4.2-fold higher risk of ovarian cancer than women without endometriosis. Women with ovarian endometriomas and/or deep infiltrating endometriosis, compared with those without endometriosis, had a 9.7-fold higher risk. Associations between endometriosis subtypes and ovarian cancer histotypes were much stronger for ovarian cancer type I (endometrioid, clear cell, mucinous, and low-grade serous) compared with ovarian cancer type II (high-grade serous).
What is endometriosis? It is a common gynecological disease in which endometrial cells begin to grow not only inside the uterus, but also outside it. According to the WHO, the disease manifests itself in three main forms. Superficial endometriosis is mainly observed on the mucous membrane around the pelvic cavity. More severe forms occur as cysts inside the ovaries, called endometriomas, and as deep infiltrating endometriosis, which affects the ovaries, bladder, and intestines. This condition often leads to chronic pain and infertility.