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Re: Do endometriomas really turn cancerous?
From: Kayla (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Fri Jun 28 18:40:27 2002
Suzanne,
Going off of what you said...I had two "serous cystadenomas" removed
last September and I have been under evaluation for endo. My question
is that, I've heard that those types of tumors(serous cystadenomas) tend
to lead to cancer. Both of these tumors were on my ovaries and
fallopian tubes. If I do have endo, and have had these tumors does my
chance increase even more so? I am having a laparascopy a week from
today. Thanks!
At Fri, 28 Jun 2002, Laura wrote:
>
>At Fri, 28 Jun 2002, Suzanne wrote:
>>
>>No, they do not. You can leave them alone (though you run the risk of
>>them rupturing, which is painful), or have them treated. But the cells
>>that make up endometriomas are NOT cancer cells.
>>
>>However, there are reports about a higher incidence of ovarian cancer in
>>people with endo. We don't know enough about either endo or cancer to
>>know why. It seems probable that the answer lies in the immune system
>>and its inability to "turn off" unwanted cell growth. In any event,
>>this means that those of us with endo should be aware of this risk, and
>>should have any suspicious gynecological conditions checked out (which
>>is kind of hard with endo, when you rarely feel "normal!"). It's also a
>>good case for taking BCPs, which lower the risk of ovarian cancer
>>substantially (but, of course, cause other problems for some women). But
>>the actual masses on your ovaries are not going to "convert" to cancer.
>
>>The above answer is not entirely correct.Yes , the masses can become cancerous, but it is so rare it's not worth worrying about. As far as BCP pills lowering the risk of ovarian cancer, be careful of your interpretation of statistics. It reportedly lowers your risk by 30%, but it's a low risk disease to begin with. So instead of a 1% chance of getting it, your chance is about 0.7%. Big deal.
>
>>At Thu, 27 Jun 2002, Brune wrote:
>>>
>>>I'd like to hear from anyone re my question: I 've heard and read mixed
>>>reports on whether endometriomas transition into a cancerous mass. Has
>>>anyone
>>>had this happen or has anyone heard any really difinitive answers.?
--
Kayla
**Just someone who cares, preparing for the medical field**
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