One in 10 women in the UK with common but ‘debilitating’ condition are at ‘increased risk’ of ovarian cancer
WOMEN who suffer from endometriosis also have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer, new research has revealed.
This new study has confirmed what scientists have speculated for years – that the two conditions are linked.
Endometriosis is a common and debitilating condition that happens when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows on other organs.
It plagues around one in 10 women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the UK.
Celebrities such as comedian Amy Schumer and former Love Islander Molly-Mae-Hague have recently opened up about their battle with the illness.
The symptoms of the gynaecological condition can include painful periods, nausea, extreme tiredness and infertility
Researchers from the University of Utah, US, found those with endometriosis were four times more likely to develop ovarian cancer than those who didn’t have the disease.
However, for women with some of the more severe forms of the disease – either deep infiltrating endometriosis, ovarian endometriomas or both – this rose to a 9.7-fold higher risk.
As the name suggests, deep infiltrating is found deep within the tissue or organ, while ovarian endometriomas, sometimes called “chocolate cysts,” are cysts that form in the ovary.
Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynaecological cancer because it’s usually diagnosed too late.
In the UK, around 7,400 people are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, and more than 4,000 people die from it.
This means that ovarian cancer kills a woman in the UK every two hours.
Less than half (45 per cent) of women with the disease will live beyond five years from the time of diagnosis, according to Cancer Research.
However, if caught early while still at stage one the five-year survival rate rises dramatically to 90 per cent.
Previous research has suggested people with endomitrosis were just 1.4 times more likely to develop ovarian cancer, compared to the general population.
RISK IS STILL LOW
The latest study, published in JAMA Network, suggest the link was much higher and therefore women with the condition should be monitored more closely.
Researchers analysed health data on nearly 500,000 women in Utah age 18 to 55 for over 20 years.
They found that the risk of all ovarian cancer types was 4.2-fold higher among women with endometriosis than in women without the condition.
Women with deep infiltrating endometriosis had the highest risk of ovarian cancer overall — around 18.8 times higher.
While women with deep infiltrating endometriosis along with ovarian endometriomas had the second-highest risk, about 13-fold higher.
It’s hoped the findings will prompt more targeted cancer screening and prevention programs for women with endometriosis, particularly those with the most at-risk subtypes.
“Given the rarity of ovarian cancer, the excess risk was relatively small, with 10 to 20 additional cases for 10,000 women,” Associate Professor Karen Schliep said.
“Nevertheless, women with endometriosis – notably the more severe subtypes – may be an important population for targeted cancer screening and prevention.”
Warning signs of ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer affects the ovaries - the organs that store the eggs needed to make babies
It mostly affects women over the age of 50, though it can affect anyone with ovaries.
The symptoms can be vague, and not always obvious. But you should speak to your GP if you notice any of the following 12 or more times a month:
- A swollen tummy or feeling bloated
- Pain or tenderness in your tummy or pelvis
- No appetite or feeling full quickly after eating
- An urgent need to pee or needing to pee more often
Other symptoms include: indigestion, constipation, diarrhoea, back pain, feeling tired all the time, losing weight without trying, bleeding from the vagina after menopause.
Source: NHS