can endo turn to cancer

What are the chances of endometriosis, firbroids or adhesions turning to cancer? I would appreciate a responce from anyone who can help.

Thanks
love to sew

In all the years I have dealt with and researched endo., I have never heard anything suggesting that it could develop into cancer or that women with it were more or less likely to develop cancers. But if someone has ever heard anything about the subject I would like to hear it also. After my surgery I did find out that if mine had remained much longer, I would have most likely developed problems with my left kidney because of the damage to my left ureter by the endo. In the last month before surgery, I thought I might have a mild kidney infection but was negative for it, so I was already having mild symptoms. Thankfully after multiple tests, I have found that there is no permanent damage.

I did Google endo. and cancer and found a BBC News article that said that women with endo. are at a slightly higher risk of certain cancers.

Quoting: They found a woman's risk of developing ovarian cancer increased by just under half, for endocrine tumours by a third, for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma approximately a quarter and for brain tumours just over a fifth. However, the risk of cervical cancer fell by roughly a third.The author of the study, presented at the annual meeting of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology in Madrid, said that as these were relatively uncommon cancers, even apparently large increases in lifetime risk were not necessarily anything to be concerned about. Dr Anna-Sofia Berglund said: "It is very important to keep these findings in perspective. The overall risk of cancer does not increase after endometriosis, and where there are slightly increased risks, they are in some of the less common cancers". The study found that women who had a hysterectomy before or at the time that endometriosis was diagnosed did not show this increased risk of ovarian cancer - suggesting a preventive effect. Dr. Berglund said the study did not prove endometriosis caused cancer - but that it was possible that whatever led to endometriosis might increase the risk.

I hope that this helps.

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Originally Posted by shatzie I did Google endo. and cancer and found a BBC News article that said that women with endo. are at a slightly higher risk of certain cancers. - but that it was possible that whatever led to endometriosis might increase the risk. I hope that this helps.

This is what I have heard, too - but specifically that the hormone imbalance that accompanies endo is a condition that can increase the risk of certain cancers, the same way BC and HRT can in some people.

That was always my BIG worry too. I had stage IV. Massive amounts of it all over my bowels. It ate up my appendix and ate a whole through my bowel.So it can be very dangerous. I ended up with a colostomy for 6 months with the bowel insident.Not fun. When they first showed me pics of my insides, I thought, I had cancer everywhere. I have the black endo, and it was everywhere and looked to me what cancer would look like.

Wow this information has really scared me. I was told that endo can NEVER turn to cancer. In fact, my doctor told me that was the best thing about an endo diagnosis. I just had a SAH due to stage IV and am still battling the endo pain due to the extensive amounts left inside me. The endo had caused my cervix to adhere to my bowel as well.

There's nothing to be scared of... none of the info in this post says that endo can ever turn into cancer.

The big danger of endo is its capability to do physical damage to your insides, and that is not the case for everyone - I for one had no adhesions and very few lesions, but a lot of pain. The scar tissue can cause bowel problems, fertility issues and other adhesion-related things, but not cancer.

To add to what JulieBr said, these statistics talk about how your percentages are increased by percentages. For instance an average woman, overall has a 1% chance of developing ovarian cancer. Now if you have endometriosis, and the statistics in this article is true, then you have a 2% chance of developing it, if you never have a hysterectomy. It said that if you have a hysterectomy at or near the time of your diagnosis, you have no increased risk. Of course, now that I have had a BSO, I have a 0% chance of ovarian cancer, but I may have a slightly increased risk of these other cancers. All in all, this does not scare me. Living with moderate to severe daily pain that caused me severe depression that caused me to be suicidal, THAT was scary.

Hi Love to sew

Since I had my hysterectomy for endo, I also wondered about the relationship with endo and cancer.Here are some links that may be helpful to you.

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Current research does not prove an association between endometriosis and endometrial, cervical, uterine, or ovarian cancers. In very rare cases (less than 1 percent) endometriosis is seen with a certain type of cancer, called endometrioid cancer; but, endometriosis is not known to cause this cancer

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publication...iosis/sub2.htm

http://www.infertilityphysician.com/...is/cancer.html

http://www.endometriosis.org/faq.html

http://legalpointer.com/displaymonograph.php?MID=160

http://www.about-health.info/endometriosis_cancer.html

http://www.chicago-ivf.com/Endometriosis/Default.aspx

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Hi Shatzie

I was very surprised to find out that we are not 100% out of the woods when our ovaries are removed.
Our chances of developing ovarian cancer are MUCH lower, but not 100%. Here are some articles about ovarian cancer after the removal of the ovaries.

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Yet it should be noted that removal of the ovaries does not ensure protection in all high-risk patients. Cancers still may form from lining cells within the pelvic cavity (e.g., intraperitoneal carcinomatosis), despite the removal of normal ovaries.

http://www.oncologychannel.com/ovari...evention.shtml

http://ovariancancer.gog199.cancer.gov/index.html

Having your ovaries removed offers some protection, but ovarian cancer may still occur.

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Ovarian cancer risk drops by about 80% when the ovaries are surgically removed. The risk doesn't go down to zero because ovary-like cells that are normally present in the pelvic area could still form a cancer, even after the ovaries are gone.

http://www.breastcancer.org/tre_sys_hrt_ovryremv.html

I hope this helps.