Evaluation of endometrial precancerous lesions in postmenopausal obese women--a high risk group?

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate precancerous lesions such as hyperplasia and endometrial polyps in obese postmenopausal women.

Materials and methods: Women who were referred with abnormal uterine bleeding in postmenopausal period or the presence of endometrial cells on cervical cytology in our department were investigated. Anthropometric measurements such as height, weight, body mass index, waist/hip ratio and endometrial thickness were compared between a precancerous lesion (hyperplasia and endometrial polyp) group and a pathologically normal group.

Results: We detected statistically significant thickening of endometrium in patients with precancerous lesions. Moreover patients with precancerous lesions had higher body mass index than the pathologically normal group.

Conclusions: We found elevated precancerous lesion rates in overweight and obese women in the postmenopausal period, of interest given that the prevalence of obesity is increasing in most parts of the world. Although screening for endometrial cancer is not recommended for the general population, in high-risk populations like obese postmenopausal women, it may be very important.