title: Endometriosis and cancer.
abstract: Endometriosis is manifested by the presence of both endometrial glandular and stromal cells outside the uterine cavity. It is characterized by ectopic implantation of endometrial cells with elevated proliferation and migration. Endometriosis is the leading cause of morbidity among premenopausal women and the complex pathogenesis of this disease remains controversial despite extensive research. This rather complex disease has a significant impact on quality of life of many women as none of the current treatments represent a cure. Based on the current knowledge, one can conclude that the histological and genetic alterations in endometriosis might explain why and how endometriosis can change into several types of cancer. However, the exact mechanisms of this conversion are still not fully established.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology & Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Karlovarska 48, Plzen, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Králíčková
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Losan
authors.forename: Vaclav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vetvicka
mesh_terms: D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology
keywords: cancer; endometriosis; markers; ovarian cancer; stem cells