Endometriosis patients expressed increased risks for ovarian and endometrial cancers, finds study

A comprehensive study published in the Current Oncology journal found evidences of the potential relationship between endometriosis and the risk of developing various gynecologic cancers. This large-scale investigation utilized the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database and spanned from 2016 to 2019 to highlight the complex associations between this chronic condition and several types of cancer.

This research employed the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) system to pinpoint relevant codes within the NIS database and encompassed a diverse sample of patients. The study involved both univariate and multivariate regression analyses to evaluate the potential links between endometriosis and cancers of the ovary, endometrium, cervix and breast. These analyses were adjusted for a range of factors by including age, race, hospital region, teaching status, income, smoking, alcohol use and hormonal replacement therapy. The associations were quantified as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The dataset included a total of 1164 gynecologic cancer patients with endometriosis and 2,25,323 without.

The univariate analysis of this study revealed significant findings:

Endometriosis was associated with a markedly higher risk of ovarian cancer with an OR of 3.42 (95% CI: 3.05–3.84, p < 0.001). Similarly, there was a significant association between endometriosis and an increased risk of endometrial cancer (OR = 3.35, 95% CI: 2.97–3.79, p < 0.001).

Also, the analysis did not show a significant link between endometriosis and cervical cancer (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.85–1.28, p = 0.663). Interestingly, endometriosis appeared to be associated with a lower risk of breast cancer (OR = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.10–0.17, p < 0.001).

These initial findings were further refined through multivariate analysis. After applying the Bonferroni correction, the significant associations persisted for ovarian and endometrial cancers with adjusted ORs of 3.34 (95% CI: 2.97–3.75, p < 0.001) and 3.61 (95% CI: 3.12–4.08, p < 0.001), respectively. The link between endometriosis and cervical cancer remained non-significant (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.65–0.99, p = 0.036).

The study concluded that patients with endometriosis undergo unique risks regarding gynecologic cancers. Also, there is a higher susceptibility to ovarian and endometrial cancers, while no significant risk is observed for cervical cancer. The unexpected finding of a reduced risk of breast cancer in endometriosis patients presents a curious anomaly that warrants further investigation. Overall, these results underline the importance of customized medical surveillance and preventive strategies for women with endometriosis concerning ovarian and endometrial cancers.

Reference:

Al-Badawi, I. A., Abu-Zaid, A., Alomar, O., Alsabban, M., Alsehaimi, S. O., Alqarni, S. M. S., Alabdrabalamir, S. N., Baradwan, S., Al Baalharith, M., AlOdaini, A. A., Saleh, S. A. K., Adly, H. M., Bukhari, I. A., & Salem, H. (2024). Association between Endometriosis and the Risk of Ovarian, Endometrial, Cervical, and Breast Cancer: A Population-Based Study from the U.S. National Inpatient Sample 2016–2019. In Current Oncology (Vol. 31, Issue 1, pp. 472–481). MDPI AG. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol31010032