We Finally Have a Genetic Link Between Ovarian Cancer And This Common Disorder

Scientists have found a genetic link between ovarian cancer and the disease of the uterus.

The risk of an endometriosis patient developing cancer is very low, but these overlap genetic markers could help researchers understand and treat both illnesses better in the future.

The purpose of the study was to increase our understanding of both of these diseases by understanding the genetic link between them.

Endometriosis is a very common condition. It happens when cells similar to the lining of the uterus grow elsewhere in the body.

Similar to other female pain conditions, endometriosis has been overlooked by medicine, and thanks to that, we still don't know how it's caused.

Recent research shows that a strong genetic component can be found in families. Ovarian cancer is more likely to be developed in people with a family history of it.

Researchers in Australia gathered data from several studies to further investigate the relationship between these two conditions.

In the end, they found 19 genetic locations in female DNA that appear to predispose people to endo while also predisposing them to ovarian cancer, which is the kind that develops in the lining outside the ovary.

According to studies, 1 in 76 women are at risk of developing ovarian cancer in their lifetime, and having endometriosis increases this to 1 in 55.

We don't know how to predict which patients are more likely to develop ovarian cancer, but a recent research gives us a few clues.

The data from the large and recent meta-analyses were used in the study. The authors were able to link the genetic components of endometriosis with some types of ovarian cancer.

In simple terms, this means that the genes responsible for endometriosis were driving the development of tissue that increases the risk of ovarian cancer, but not the other way around.

According to the authors, this directionality suggests that the two diseases are related, and that a genetic variant is likely to cause EOC for the variant highlighted in this study.

The genetic regions shared by EOC and endometriosis could help experts figure out what mechanisms are driving the relationship and what biological pathways might contribute to the risk.

Drug targets and treatment options for both illnesses could be provided by such research.

Some genetic variations were found in regions that host hormone-responsive genes.

This suggests hormone regulation might help block the pathway between endometriosis and clear cell ovarian cancer, which is associated with abnormal tissue growth outside the uterus.

The authors note that the cell adhesion pathways were enriched for some genetic variations. The ability of endometriosis to adhere to tissue might be an important part of disease development.

High-grade serous ovarian cancer, which is one of the deadliest human cancers with few predictors, was also associated with endometrioid ovarian cancer.

Polycystic ovary syndrome and uterine fibroids are two reproductive diseases that share some of the genetic markers for EOC.

The authors suspectperturbation of underlying pathways important for the development and regulation of the reproductive and endocrine systems may cause women to develop a variety of diseases depending on their genetic and environmental risk factors.

Over the years, researchers have compared the way endometrial cells spread, invade and damage tissue to that of cancer cells.

On rare occasions, endometrial lesions can turn into tumors.

There are still many avenues to explore when it comes to understanding endometriosis, but genetic studies like these can help experts narrow down the options in front of them, pushing future research in the right direction.

Cell Reports Medicine published the study.