Endometriosis, also called the chocolate cyst, is at the head of the conditions women complain of. The cyst, which is frequently seen in the reproductive age, sometimes causes no complaint at all and is found by chance, can be treated with medication or with surgery. This disease, whose cause is not known with certainty, arises when the endometrium layer inside the uterus settles in another place and, in that area, causes thickening and shedding with bleeding just as inside the uterus.
The Relationship Between the Chocolate Cyst and Cancer
In recent years, in cases followed up because of a chocolate cyst, transformation into cancer has been determined one after another both in case reports and in epidemiological studies. Endometriosis and ovarian cancer depend on inherited and environmental factors. Although it is stated that women with endometriosis are at greater risk of ovarian cancer, this risk is quite low. To say that every chocolate cyst turns into cancer would be an incorrect judgement. The relationship between endometriosis and ovarian cancer has been assessed in terms of biological and inherited mutation, but no strong evidence has been found that would establish a cause-and-effect link between the two health problems. Along with this, in chocolate cysts encountered especially at more advanced ages, this possibility can be considered. In ovaries in which endometriosis, that is, a chocolate cyst, is present, although the risk of ovarian cancer appearing in later periods is quite low, there is a risk. But unfortunately we also see ovarian cancer in our patients with a chocolate cyst at young ages. During follow-up, whatever the assessment criteria for cancer are in the same ovarian masses, the same criteria are used here too. It is necessary for the doctor to follow the patient up bearing in mind that the benign chocolate cyst may turn into malignant ovarian cancer and, in the necessary situations, especially in the case of a suspicious mass, to resort without any hesitation, and while informing the patient very well, to advanced diagnostic methods.
The Alarm Bells Ring in the Reproductive Period
Endometriosis is a frequently encountered health problem in women of reproductive age, and endometriosis has been detected in 15 per cent of women of reproductive age and in approximately 30-40% of women who have difficulty becoming pregnant.
The Factors That Cause Ovarian Cancer
The location of the tumour, the person’s socio-economic situation, the menopause, the use of infertility medication, whether or not there has been someone in the family who previously had breast or ovarian cancer, and the chocolate cyst constitute the risk factors for ovarian cancer.
The Situations That Reduce the Risk of Ovarian Cancer
Using the contraceptive pill for a long time, giving birth at the expected time, an increasing number of pregnancies and births; the rate of ovarian cysts is lower in women whose ovarian tubes have been tied or removed.