Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 May;15(5):7689-7692.
doi: 10.3892/ol.2018.8287. Epub 2018 Mar 16.

Association between ovarian cancer and advanced endometriosis

Michail Matalliotakis  1 , Charoula Matalliotaki  1 , George N Goulielmos  2 , Evridiki Patelarou  3 , Maria Tzardi  4 , Demetrios A Spandidos  5 , Aydin Arici  6 , Ioannis Matalliotakis  1
Affiliations

Association between ovarian cancer and advanced endometriosis

Michail Matalliotakis et al. Oncol Lett. 2018 May.

Abstract

We retrospectively analyzed clinicopathological data in two different countries over the past years on the association between ovarian endometriosis and ovarian carcinoma. Medical and pathological reports were evaluated from 1,000 patients with endometriosis from two different geographical areas. The prevalence and women characteristics of cases were analyzed. Endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer was present in 20 (2%) cases, among the study subjects. The observed prevalence was 12 (60%) for endometrioid carcinoma, 4 (20%) for clear cell ovarian carcinoma, 2 (10%) for serous and 2 (10%) for mucinous adenocarcinoma. A higher proportion of endometrioid carcinoma cases were noted in comparison with other types (P<0.001). We found only 3/20 (15%) postmenopausal cases. In all cases, we reported advanced stage of endometriosis (stage III or IV). Left-sided endometrioid carcinoma were notably more common than right-sided ones (P<0.001). In the majority of cases, malignant transformation of endometriosis was observed in endometrioid carcinoma or clear cell carcinoma of the ovary. Further research is required to establish the relationship between endometriosis and ovarian cancer.

Keywords: clear cell ovarian carcinoma; endometrioid carcinoma; endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer; mucinous adenocarcinoma; serous adenocarcinoma.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Vercellini P, Scarfone G, Bolis G, Stellato G, Carinelli S, Crosignani PG. Site of origin of epithelial ovarian cancer: The endometriosis connection. BJOG. 2000;107:1155–1157. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2000.tb11116.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sampson JA. Endometrial carcinoma of the ovary, arising in endometrial tissue in that organ. Arch Surg. 1925;10:1–72. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1925.01120100007001. - DOI
    1. Vaughan S, Coward JI, Bast RC, Jr, Berchuck A, Berek JS, Brenton JD, Coukos G, Crum CC, Drapkin R, Etemadmoghadam D, et al. Rethinking ovarian cancer: Recommendations for improving outcomes. Nat Rev Cancer. 2011;11:719–725. doi: 10.1038/nrc3144. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Guo SW. Endometriosis and ovarian cancer: Potential benefits and harms of screening and risk-reducing surgery. Fertil Steril. 2015;104:813–830. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.08.006. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hanahan D, Weinberg RA. Hallmarks of cancer: The next generation. Cell. 2011;144:646–674. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2011.02.013. - DOI - PubMed