by Philippe Koninckx | Nov 23, 2009 | 1 Endometriose
A lady asked : I have a cystic ovarian endometriosis ; do I have an increased riks of ivarian cancer ? The association between cystic ovarian endometriosis and ovarian cancer remains problematic and disturbing. Too often this soo called association is highlighted ; it creates fear in many patients and is often an alibi not to perform laparoscopic surgery but a laparotomy instead. Fact 1 In large series there is some statistical association demonstrating that ovarian cancer is slightly more frequent in women with cystic ovarian endometriosis dan in women without. The association however is so weak that it can be considered as clinically irrelevant. Then there is a lot of speculation to explain this. Fact 2 In large series of ultrasound diagnosis of cystic ovarian endometriosis ovarian cancer is found in some 3% of women, almost all of them in women after menopause though. Comments Statistical associations cannot demonstrate a cause and effect relationship and should be interpreted carefully. Most important is the strength of the association. The association of cystic ovarian endometriosis and ovarian cancer is much weaker than the association between the use of oral contraception and tubal sterilisation and a decrease in ovarian cancer. The latter has been used to suggest that some ascending viral infections might be related to the onset of ovarian cancer, but has never been used as an argument to perform mass sterilisations or for the use of oral contraception. Associations should be interpreted clinically. With the data we have today, it is important for the patients to know that If you have a cystic ovarian endometriosis and are less than...
