title: Site of origin of epithelial ovarian cancer: the endometriosis connection.
abstract: To investigate the left- and right-sided distribution of ovarian malignant surface epithelial tumours, data were collected on 209 women undergoing first-line surgery for Stage I and II disease. Considering the unilateral cancers, the observed proportion of left-sided lesions was 35/54 (65%) in the endometrioid, 20/45 (44%) in the serous, 19/35 (54%) in the clear cell, 13/29 (45%) in the mucinous, 2/8 (25%) in the mixed, and 2/5 (40%) in the undifferentiated histological type group. The proportion of left-sided unilateral endometrioid cancers was significantly different from the expected 50% (chi2(1), 4.74, P = 0.03) and very similar to that previously observed for benign endometriotic cysts, constituting further evidence in favour of a possible development of endometrioid cancers from the latter lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Luigi Mangiagalli, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vercellini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scarfone
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bolis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stellato
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carinelli
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Crosignani
mesh_terms: D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000150:complications*