A recent analysis of health data from over 23,000 women found that those with a history of endometriosis had a significantly increased risk of three types of ovarian cancer. The findings suggest that women with the uterine disorder should step up screening for these cancers.

About 10 percent of women of reproductive age have endometriosis which causes cells from the lining of the uterus to grow in other areas of the body.

It is important to note that there are many subtypes of ovarian cancer and this study only found an association between endometriosis and increased risk of three subtypes of ovarian cancer. Endometriosis was linked to:

• A three-fold risk of clear-cell ovarian cancer
• A two-fold risk of endometrioid tumors
• A two-fold risk of low-grade serous ovarian cancers

No increased risk of ovarian cancer was found with the sub-types high-grade serous, mucinous, serous borderline, or mucinous borderline ovarian cancers.

"This breakthrough could lead to better identification of women at increased risk of ovarian cancer and could provide a basis for increased cancer surveillance of the relevant population, allowing better individualization of prevention and early detection approaches such as risk-reduction surgery and screening," lead author Celeste Leigh Pearce, at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, said in a journal news release.

The Big Picture

Despite what seems to be an alarming association, the overall risk of a woman with endometriosis developing ovarian cancer remains small. However, the study authors believe that women with endometriosis as well as health care providers should be alert to the increased risk and weigh it along with other risk factors when considering ovarian cancer screening.

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Health Finder

Variations in estrogen levels can affect women’s health in many ways, from monthly PMS and acne breakouts to more serious conditions such as endometriosis, osteoporosis and some cancers. So it’s important for women to know which lifestyle factors may affect estrogen levels.

A new study found that caffeine had different effects on estrogen levels that varied by caffeine source and the study participants ethnicity.

During the two year study, more than 250 women ages 18 to 44 consumed an average of 90 milligrams of caffeine a day. This is equivalent to one cup of caffeinated coffee.

Asian women who consumed about 200 milligrams or more of caffeine a day had elevated estrogen levels compared to those who consumed less. But white women who consumed the same amount of caffeine had slightly lower estrogen levels than women who consumed less. Black women had a slight, but statistically insignificant rise in estrogen levels with consumption of the same amount of caffeine.

Coffee vs. Tea

When the researchers considered the source of the caffeine: coffee, black tea, green tea or caffeinated soda, the findings differed slightly.

Caffeine from coffee mirrored the overall findings, but consumption of more than one cup each day of caffeinated soda or green teas was associated with higher estrogen in all three groups of women.

Health Implications

The caffeine induced changes in estrogen levels did not appear to affect women's ovulation, said the researchers, who followed the women for up to two menstrual cycles. However, the researchers are concerned about the long-term effects of caffeine consumption on women’s health.

"Short term, these variations in estrogen levels among different groups do not appear to have any pronounced effects. We know that variations in estrogen level are associated with such disorders as endometriosis, osteoporosis, and endometrial, breast and ovarian cancers. Because long-term caffeine consumption has the potential to influence estrogen levels over a long period of time, it makes sense to take caffeine consumption into account when designing studies to understand these disorders," Enrique Schisterman, of the Division of Epidemiology, Statistics and Prevention Research at the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

About 89 percent of U.S. women ages 18 to 34 consume the caffeine equivalent of 1.5 to two cups of coffee a day, according to the authors.

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Health Day