On-Site PhD conferral Marjolein Hermens

Key words: Endometriosis, adenomyosis, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer

"Endometriosis: not just a benign disease Insights in the association between endometriosis or adenomyosis and cancer"

Endometriosis and adenomyosis are benign diseases in which the tissue that normally lines inside of the uterus (endometrium) is present in the muscle layer of the uterus (adenomyosis), on the ovaries or in the abdominal cavity (endometriosis). Previously published studies have shown a possible association between endometrioses/adenomyosis and cancer. Therefore, this thesis studied these associations in over 133,000 women with proven endometriosis or adenomyosis. This thesis shows that women with proven endometriosis or adenomyosis have an increased risk of developing ovarian or endometrial cancer. However, the overall survival after ovarian or endometrial cancer diagnosis in women with endometriosis/adenomyosis when compared to women without endometriosis/adenomyosis is better. Also, the thesis found that after removal of the ovaries in women with endometriosis, the extra-ovarian cancer risk reduces to less than the population (extra-)ovarian cancer risk.

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