Risk Factors for Endometrial Cancer: Results from a Hospital-Based Case-Control Study

Models including preoperative plasma levels of angiogenic factors, leptin and IL-8 as potential biomarkers of endometrial cancer

Background

The diversity of endometrial cancer (EC) dictates the need for precise early diagnosis and pre-operative stratification to select treatment options appropriately. Non-invasive biomarkers invaluably assist clinicians in managing patients in daily clinical practice. Currently, there are no validated diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers for EC that could accurately predict the presence and extent of the disease.

Methods

Our study analyzed 202 patients, of whom 91 were diagnosed with EC and 111 were control patients with the benign gynecological disease. Using Luminex xMAP™ multiplexing technology, we measured the pre-operative plasma concentrations of six previously selected angiogenic factors - leptin, IL-8, sTie-2, follistatin, neuropilin-1, and G-CSF. Besides basic statistical methods, we used a machine-learning algorithm to create a robust diagnostic model based on the plasma concentration of tested angiogenic factors.

Results

The plasma levels of leptin were significantly higher in EC patients than in control patients. Leptin was higher in type 1 EC patients versus control patients, and IL-8 was higher in type 2 EC versus control patients, particularly in poorly differentiated endometrioid EC grade 3. IL-8 plasma levels were significantly higher in EC patients with lymphovascular or myometrial invasion. Among univariate models, the model based on leptin reached the best results on both training and test datasets. A combination of age, IL-8, leptin and G-CSF was determined as the most important feature for the multivariate model, with ROC AUC 0.94 on training and 0.81 on the test dataset. The model utilizing a combination of all six AFs, BMI and age reached a ROC AUC of 0.89 on both the training and test dataset, strongly indicating the capability for predicting the risk of EC even on unseen data.

Conclusion

According to our results, measuring plasma concentrations of angiogenic factors could, provided they are confirmed in a multicentre validation study, represent an important supplementary diagnostic tool for early detection and prognostic characterization of EC, which could guide the decision-making regarding the extent of treatment.

Endometrial Cancer in Pre-Menopausal Women and Younger: Risk Factors and Outcome

Endometrial cancer is the sixth most common malignancy in women, and it is known to be a disease among postmenopausal women, but there is rising in the number of endometrial cancers among premenopausal women. This study aims to determine the clinical characteristic, risk factors, outcomes, and survival in pre and postmenopausal women with endometrial cancer in Malaysia. A retrospective study was conducted in Hospital Melaka that involved all women who were diagnosed with endometrial cancer in Hospital Melaka from January 2002 until July 2020. All subjects’ histopathological examination result was confirmed, and their clinical data were extracted and transferred into a standardized data checklist and analysed. A total number of 392 cases was obtained from the Annual Cancer Registry Hospital Melaka. However, only 281 cases were studied, including 44.8% premenopausal and 55.2% postmenopausal women. In the premenopausal group, there were higher incidence of obesity (30.8 + 8.6 vs. 28.9 + 7.1), younger age at menarche (12.7 + 1.5 vs. 13.3 + 1.6), lesser parity (1.47 vs. 3.26), and a higher number of nulliparous women (46.8% vs. 19.4%) as compared to postmenopausal group. The premenopausal group tends to be presented with a well-differentiated grading of tumour (52.4%) and a higher incidence of having concomitant endometrial hyperplasia (41.3%). The mean survival among the premenopausal group (200.3 + 7.9 months) is higher compared to postmenopausal group (153.9 + 6.5 months). These findings correlate with good survival and prognosis among the premenopausal group compared to the postmenopausal group.

An Assessment of Serum Selenium Concentration in Women with Endometrial Cancer

Background: Numerous studies have shown a relationship between low serum selenium levels and an increased risk of developing cancer. Methods: A total of 306 women participated in the study: 153 patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer and 153 healthy women who were matched, in terms of birth year (+/−3 years), to the patients from the study group. The quantitative measurement of selenium content in the collected blood samples was performed using a mass spectrometer with excitation in inductively coupled plasma. In order to determine the relationship between the risk factors and the incidence of endometrial cancer, analyses based on single- and multi-factor conditional logistic regression models were performed. Results: The mean concentration of selenium was lower in patients with endometrial cancer than in healthy controls (60.63 µg/L (0.77 µmol/L) vs. 78.74 µg/L (0.99 µmol/L), respectively). When compared in quartiles, a significant association of lower selenium concentration with the incidence of endometrial cancer was recorded. The highest OR was observed in the first and second quartiles (OR-22.0, p-value < 0.001; medium selenium level 46.95 µg/L (0.59 µmol/L), and OR-5.94; p-value < 0.001; medium selenium level 63.60 µg/L (0.80 µmol/L), respectively). Conclusion: A strong correlation between the level of selenium in the blood serum and the risk of endometrial cancer indicates that patients with low levels should be a candidate group requiring appropriate preventive examinations. Further research on a larger group of patients is required.

Rate of Significant Endometrial Pathology in Women at Low Risk for Endometrial Hyperplasia or Cancer Presenting with Abnormal Uterine Bleeding

Background and Objectives

To determine the rate of significant endometrial abnormalities in premenopausal women at low risk for endometrial hyperplasia and cancer presenting with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB).

Patients and Methods

This descriptive study was conducted from January 1, 2016 to March 31, 2019. The inclusion criteria were premenopausal women, 35-50 years, presenting with AUB, low risk for endometrial hyperplasia or endometrial cancer, and having undergone endometrial sampling or uterine curettage. Nulliparous, obesity, diabetes mellitus, polycystic ovary syndrome, chronic anovulation, infertility, tamoxifen therapy and/or a family history of uterine, ovarian, breast and colon cancer were excluded. Data regarding baseline characteristics were collected, and histopathology reports were reviewed.

Results

During the study period, 644 subjects were recruited, 557 of whom had adequate endometrial tissue for histopathology study. The pathology demonstrated benign in most cases (96%). The rate of significant abnormal endometrial pathology was 4% (23 cases) including 19 cases of endometrial hyperplasia without atypia (3.3%), and 4 cases of endometrial cancer (0.7%).

Conclusion

The rate of significant abnormal endometrial pathology in premenopausal women at low risk for endometrial hyperplasia or endometrial cancer presenting with AUB was very low. This information should be incorporated into the counseling process regarding the risks and benefits of endometrial sampling.

Genetics of IL6 polymorphisms: Case-control study of the risk of endometrial cancer

Background

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynaecological malignancy. Cytokines gene may be important in endometrial cancer development. This study sought to investigate whether the IL4, IL6 two gene genetic variants were associated with susceptibility to endometrial cancer (EC) in Hainan Chinese Han women by a hospital‐based study.

Methods

The genetic polymorphisms for IL4 and IL6 were analyzed by Agena MassARRAY method. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by unconditional logistic regression.

Results

We observed a significant increase in risk of endometrial cancer of rs1524107 (IL6) (T/C, OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.09–2.37, p = 1.55 × 10⁻²), rs2066992 (IL 6) (OR = 3.09, 95% CI = 2.11–4.53, p = 3.13 × 10⁻⁹). However, for IL4 gene, no associations emerged the SNP and EC risk.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that IL6 gene polymorphisms are significantly associated with increased EC susceptibility in Hainan Chinese Han women.

Increased Incidence of Endometrial Cancer Following the Women's Health Initiative: An Assessment of Risk Factors

BACKGROUND

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database shows a variable increase in endometrial cancer incidence over time. The objective of this review was to examine published endometrial cancer rates and potential etiologies.

METHODS

Endometrial cancer incidence was obtained from the SEER Program database from 1975 through 2014, and a test for trend in incidence was calculated. Changes in risk factors thought to be associated with endometrial cancer, including age, obesity, diabetes, diet and exercise, reproductive factors, and medications (hormone therapy [HT] including Food and Drug Administration [FDA]-approved and non-FDA-approved [compounded] estrogens and progestogens, tamoxifen, and hormonal contraceptives) were found through PubMed searches. Temporal trends of risk factors were compared with endometrial cancer trends from SEER.

RESULTS

Although endometrial cancer rates were constant from 1992 to 2002 (women 50-74 years of age), they increased 2.5% annually with a 10% increase from 2006 to 2012 (trend test 0.82). Use of approved prescription estrogen-progestogen combination products decreased after the publication of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) data, whereas other risk factors either remained constant or decreased during the same time; however, compounded bioidentical HT (CBHT) use increased coincident with the endometrial cancer increase.

CONCLUSION

Endometrial cancer rate increases after the first publication of WHI data in 2002 may be associated with the decreased use of approved estrogen-progestogen therapy, the increase in CBHT use, and the prevalence of obesity and diabetes; potential relationships require further evaluation.