Endometriosis linked with increased risk of cancer and frequency of future surgical procedures

Women with endometriosis face an increased risk of recurrent surgery and developing ovarian cancer.

Key Points

Highlights:

• Women with endometriosis display significantly higher rates of ovarian cancer compared to the average population.
• Women with endometriosis are also at a higher risk of undergoing other gynecological surgery, compared to the healthy population.

What’s done here?

• A Scottish team of researchers conducted a large-scale meta-analysis which compared 17,834 women who were surgically diagnosed with endometriosis against women who have had previous surgical operations but showed no signs of endometriosis.
• The researchers collected data on these patients using Scottish National Health Service records and cancer registry records to determine the health outcomes of these patients over a 29-year period from 1981-2010.
• Statistical analysis, including chi-square tests, t-tests, and confidence intervals were applied to determine any relevant trends in the data among groups.

Key results:

• The incidence of subsequent gynecological surgery was significantly higher in women with endometriosis (62%) when compared with women with no evidence of endometriosis (50.6%)
• Women with endometriosis were at a significantly higher risk of developing overall future cancer, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer when compared with the general population cohort

Importance:

• The findings from this study indicate that women with endometriosis may be at high risk for other serious health issues including various types of cancer.
• Armed with this information, women affected by endometriosis can take preventative action and screening to ensure that they treat any potential future disease before it becomes life-threatening or debilitating.

Limitations:

• This study only observed data from primarily Scottish patients. Further testing must be conducted to determine if the correlation between endometriosis and increased risk of cancer is as robust in other demographics across the world.

Lay Summary

The purpose of this data research was to determine how women with endometriosis might be predisposed to other medical conditions later on in their lives. In order to determine if endometriosis affected health outcomes, a group of Scottish researchers collected data from over 17,800 women who suffer from endometriosis. They tracked their medical history over a 29-year time span to determine the incidence of cancer and surgical procedures.

They found that the incidence of subsequent gynecological surgery was 12% higher in women with endometriosis compared to the normal population. They also found that women with endometriosis were at a significantly higher risk of developing overall future cancer, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer when compared with the general population.

The results from this comprehensive meta-analysis indicate that women with endometriosis should be prepared to undergo further gynecological surgery later on in their life. They should also be aware of their higher risk of developing cancer and should routinely undergo preventative screening and incorporate lifestyle choices that can mitigate their higher risk of developing cancer.

The findings from this study have obvious health implications to all women who currently have endometriosis. This study was conducted on Scottish soil. Further testing should be conducted to determine if the correlation between endometriosis and increased risk of cancer is as robust in other demographics across the world.

Research Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28952173