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Causes of Endometrial cancer

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Any factor that increases the probability of having a disease is called a risk factor. Most cases of endometrial cancer cannot be prevented, but reducing risk factors can lower your chance of developing the disease. However, some women with endometrial cancer have not been exposed to any known risk factors. The most common risk factors for endometrial cancer are:

Obesity: This is a significant risk factor.

Oestrogen hormone therapy (without progesterone) after menopause.

Early first menstruation (menarche) and/or late menopause, resulting in a increased number of menstrual cycles.

Not having been pregnant increase the risk of having this disease.

Polycystic ovary syndrome, anovulatory cycles, infertility.

Old age.

Radiation therapy to the pelvis (to treat another cancer).

Tamoxifen treatment: This drug is given as adjuvant therapy for breast cancer after surgery and chemotherapy. It has been shown to reduce the probability of recurrence of this tumour. Women who take this drug have a higher risk of developing endometrial cancer, but the risk/benefit ratio advises taking it.

Caucasian ethnicity.

Family history of colorectal, endometrial, breast or ovarian cancer. 2-5% of currently diagnosed endometrial cancers are hereditary. The hereditary syndrome most frequently associated with endometrial cancer is Lynch syndrome, which also presents an increased risk of colorectal cancer, gastric cancer and ovarian cancer. In recent years, hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (BRCA1/2) has been linked to the development of endometrial cancer.

Substantiated information by:

Ana Carrión Aliaga Nurse Gynaecology Department

Ariel Glickman Gynecologist-Oncologist

Aureli Torné Bladé Gynaecologist

Berta Diaz-Feijoo Ginecóloga-Oncóloga

Lydia Gaba Medical oncologist

Published: 9 March 2022
Updated: 9 March 2022

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