Research on risk of hereditary endometrial cancer

On 8 July at 14:00, in a public session of the Doctoral Committee of Medicine, Rīga Stradiņš University, which will take place in the Hippocrates Lecture Theatre (16 Dzirciema Street), Liāna Švampāne will defend her doctoral thesis titled “Characterisation of Hereditary Endometrial Cancer in Latvia”.

Endometrial cancer is the third most common cancer localisation for women, following breast and skin cancer. On average, 360 – 390 new cases are detected per year in Latvia. Likewise other oncological diseases, in case of endometrial cancer early diagnosis is essential. By applying extended data analysis and special diagnostic criteria with regard to female first- and second-degree relatives with endometrial and colon cancer it is possible to detect the risk of getting endometrial cancer.

704 consecutively hospitalised patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer were included in a study at Riga East Clinical University Hospital. The author carried out a detailed analysis of the age of detection of tumour, stage of the disease, life expectancy and recurrent cancer with regard to hereditary endometrial cancer opposed to endometrial cancer cases without possible hereditary risk.

The aim of the research was to clarify whether the endometrial cancer of the patients is hereditary taking into account family history. With an aim to specify the diagnosis, possible mutations were detected in families with endometrial cancer cases.

Conforming with special diagnostic criteria (Amsterdam criteria), hereditary endometrial cancer was detected in 19 of 704 patients. In the case of 11 patients of this group mutations that foster the development of cancer were detected.

It was concluded that clinical prevalence of hereditary endometrial cancer in Latvia is 2.7 %. The data obtained prove the existence of hereditary endometrial cancer and testify to the usefulness of hereditary criteria in the diagnostics, treatment and prevention of early endometrial cancer.