A Causal Link Has Been Found Between Endometriosis And Ovarian Cancer
One in 55 people with endometriosis will develop ovarian cancer in their lives.
A new study has suggested that women with genes that predispose them to endometriosis are 2.6 times more likely to develop ovarian cancer in their lifetime.
According to a University of Queensland study published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, a causal link has been found between the endometriosis gene and ovarian cancer.
“We have estimated that the odds of having ovarian cancer over a lifetime is up to 2.6 times higher for women carrying genetic risk factors for endometriosis,” said the University of Queensland’s Dr Sally Mortlock.
The study examined the genetic markers of nearly 15,000 women who have been diagnosed with endometriosis, and more than 25,000 women with ovarian cancer, noting that there is a genetic link to specific kinds of epithelial ovarian cancer — which accounts for approximately 90 percent of cases.
While the link between the two conditions has previously been observed, this is the first time it has been genetically proven.
“The relationship between endometriosis and ovarian cancer has [previously] been looked at observationally,” Berghofer Medical Research Institute’s Tracy O’Mara — who was not involved in the study — told The Guardian. “It’s nice that they’ve used these genetic techniques… it really shows the shared biology between the two.”
To put it simply, the study suggests that having endometriosis increases your risk of developing ovarian cancer from one in 76 to one in 55.
The news is particularly concerning endometriosis research and education has been long underfunded by the Australian government. In the 2021 federal budget, the government allocated $5 million towards the condition — which impacts one in 10 people, but is notoriously complicated to diagnose and treat — but women with the condition noted that this money barely scratches the surface of the issue.
Considering the condition costs the country a staggering $9.7 billion annually — and that’s just for the cases that actually get diagnosed — and the individual up to tens of thousands of dollars in specialist appointments, diagnostic surgery and treatment, you would think the government could allocate a little more than $5 million in funding for it.
Endometriosis wreaks havoc on the quality of life and finances of those diagnosed with the condition, but now, with a clear and causal link to ovarian cancer, we can only hope it will receive more funding in the upcoming federal budget.