The Epidemiology of Endometrial and Ovarian Cancer

Late menarche, giving birth, breastfeeding, oral contraceptive use, IUD use, and tubal ligation decrease risk for both endometrial and ovarian cancer, while more ovulatory cycles, obesity, use of talc in genital hygiene, and late menopause increase risk. Despite these similarities, different explanations are proposed: estrogen excess for endometrial and incessant ovulation for ovarian cancer. Common pathways could include reproductive tissue turnover with accumulation of PTEN or p53 mutations or an immune-based explanation involving mucin proteins. Seeking unified explanations for risk factors common to both cancers could lead to new perspectives on how to prevent these common and lethal gynecologic cancers.