Are endometrial polyps true cancer precursors?
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess whether endometrial polyps (EMPs) represent cancer precursors.


METHODS
Age standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of histologically verified endometrial cancers (EmCas) were estimated in women with EMPs and in women with uterine leiomyomata, which is a condition that is unrelated to endometrial carcinogenesis. SIRs were calculated as the ratio of observed to expected EmCas based on age-specific incidence rates for female Montreal residents during the same period.


RESULTS
Of 1467 women with EMPs, 125 (8.5%) had EmCa. Of 1138 patients with uterine leiomyomata, 133 (11.7%) had EmCa. The SIRs of EmCa for women with EMPs (odds ratio, 8.0; 95% confidence interval, 6.6-9.5) were significantly lower than that in women with leiomyomata (odds ratio, 19.1; 95% confidence interval, 16.0-22.6). Abnormal uterine bleeding was the main reason for evaluating patients with EMP with or without associated EmCa.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of higher EmCa incidence are consistent with enhanced detection opportunity rather than with the endometrial cancer precursor potential of EMPs.
Perri
Tamar
T
Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Rahimi
Kurosh
K
Ramanakumar
Agnihotram V
AV
Wou
Karen
K
Pilavdzic
Dragana
D
Franco
Eduardo L
EL
Gotlieb
Walter H
WH
Ferenczy
Alex
A
D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D002296:Carcinosarcoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011127:Polyps / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology