Endometriosis related to family history of malignancies in the Yale series
Accepted 14 February 2009.
Abstract
Objective
Recent studies reported that endometriosis could behave as a neoplasmatic process. The purpose of this study is to investigate the family risk of ovarian, colon and prostate cancer in women with endometriosis.
Study design
A search of medical records at the Yale New Haven Hospital from 1996 to 2002 identified 348 women with endometriosis and 179 women without endometriosis. All the cases were diagnosed by laparoscopy. Demographic characteristics were evaluated in women with positive or negative family history of cancers in women with endometriosis.
Results
The overall risk of patients with endometriosis and positive family history of cancers was 7.7 (95% confidence interval 3.8–15.7) (χ2=39.8, P<0.001). Significant excess was observed for ovarian cancer in first- and second-degree relatives (OR=10.5, 95% CI (2.5–44.2), χ2=14.3, P<0.001), colon cancer (OR=7.5, 95% CI (2.7–21.1), χ2=18.2, P<0.001) and prostate cancer (OR=4.5, 95% CI (14–15.3), χ2=6.1, P<0.001). We found similar results in first- and second-degree relatives with ovarian and colon cancer. Moreover, we found similar results regarding the demographic characteristics in women with positive family history of cancers and in women with negative history.
Conclusions
These data suggest a familial association of endometriosis with ovarian, colon and prostate cancers. This evidence could support the genetics and molecular similarities between endometriosis and cancer. Future studies will be important to determine a clear genetic link between endometriosis and cancer.
aDivision of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
bDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
cDepartment of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece
dDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecology, Senology Unit, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
Corresponding author. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Crete, PO Box 1352, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
ABSTRACT