This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Hello. I’m Dr Maurie Markman, from City of Hope. I’d like to discuss briefly a very interesting paper that appeared in JAMA.
This paper is quite relevant for oncologists, ob/gyn doctors, and family practitioners because the data make a very strong point that needs to be emphasized beyond what is currently the standard thought process in the evaluation of risk for ovarian cancer. The paper is titled, “Endometriosis Typology and Ovarian Cancer Risk.”
It’s a very interesting analysis. The investigators in this study look at population-based cohort data using the Utah Population Database. They looked at 78,893 women with endometriosis and matched them in a 1:5 ratio with the normal control population without endometriosis.
They found that women with a history of endometriosis had a fourfold higher risk for development of ovarian cancer. Even more striking, those women who would be described as having the more serious cases of endometriosis had a 9.7-fold increased risk compared with individuals who did not have endometriosis.
As has been reported previously, there was a higher percentage of increased risk in endometrioid and clear cell ovarian cancer as opposed to high-grade serous, which is 70% of patients with ovarian cancer overall. Again, there was a very clear association between endometrioid and clear cell ovarian cancer in individuals with a history of endometriosis.
The question must be asked, based on these data and other data — but these are pretty striking data — whether a history of endometriosis should lead to increased evaluations and potential screening for ovarian cancer, which overall has certainly not been shown to be of value. With that increased risk, however, one must ask that question.
I think this is a very important analysis. By the way, endometriosis affects approximately 10% of women of reproductive age. It’s dealt with, but when you’re asking the question about later in life, the risk for ovarian cancer is very real and needs to be considered.
Again, this is very important for those individuals who have that risk, that their doctors who are caring for them in the primary care setting, ob/gyn doctors, family practitioners, and general internists are aware of this information and how it may lead to further evaluation. These data, I think, will be helpful in that regard.
Thank you for your attention.
COMMENTARY
Ovarian Cancer Risk Higher in Women With Endometriosis
DISCLOSURES
| January 29, 2025This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Hello. I’m Dr Maurie Markman, from City of Hope. I’d like to discuss briefly a very interesting paper that appeared in JAMA.
This paper is quite relevant for oncologists, ob/gyn doctors, and family practitioners because the data make a very strong point that needs to be emphasized beyond what is currently the standard thought process in the evaluation of risk for ovarian cancer. The paper is titled, “Endometriosis Typology and Ovarian Cancer Risk.”
It’s a very interesting analysis. The investigators in this study look at population-based cohort data using the Utah Population Database. They looked at 78,893 women with endometriosis and matched them in a 1:5 ratio with the normal control population without endometriosis.
They found that women with a history of endometriosis had a fourfold higher risk for development of ovarian cancer. Even more striking, those women who would be described as having the more serious cases of endometriosis had a 9.7-fold increased risk compared with individuals who did not have endometriosis.
As has been reported previously, there was a higher percentage of increased risk in endometrioid and clear cell ovarian cancer as opposed to high-grade serous, which is 70% of patients with ovarian cancer overall. Again, there was a very clear association between endometrioid and clear cell ovarian cancer in individuals with a history of endometriosis.
The question must be asked, based on these data and other data — but these are pretty striking data — whether a history of endometriosis should lead to increased evaluations and potential screening for ovarian cancer, which overall has certainly not been shown to be of value. With that increased risk, however, one must ask that question.
I think this is a very important analysis. By the way, endometriosis affects approximately 10% of women of reproductive age. It’s dealt with, but when you’re asking the question about later in life, the risk for ovarian cancer is very real and needs to be considered.
Again, this is very important for those individuals who have that risk, that their doctors who are caring for them in the primary care setting, ob/gyn doctors, family practitioners, and general internists are aware of this information and how it may lead to further evaluation. These data, I think, will be helpful in that regard.
Thank you for your attention.
Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
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