Endometrioid tumors are a class of tumor characterized by a resemblance to
endometrium/
endometrial carcinoma, and over a third of cases have focal squamous differentiation.
Ovary
They are part of the
surface epithelial tumor
A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...
group of
ovarian neoplasms (10–20% of which are the endometrioid type).
Benign
Malignancy () is the tendency of a medical condition to become progressively worse.
Malignancy is most familiar as a characterization of cancer. A ''malignant'' tumor contrasts with a non-cancerous ''benign'' tumor in that a malignancy is not s ...
and borderline variants are rare, as the majority are
malignant
Malignancy () is the tendency of a medical condition to become progressively worse.
Malignancy is most familiar as a characterization of cancer. A ''malignant'' tumor contrasts with a non-cancerous ''benign'' tumor in that a malignancy is not s ...
.
There is an association with
endometriosis and concurrent primary
endometrial carcinoma
Endometrial cancer is a cancer that arises from the endometrium (the lining of the uterus or womb). It is the result of the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. The first sign is most o ...
(
endometrial cancer).
On gross
pathological
Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in th ...
examination, the tumor is cystic and may be solid and some arise in cystic endometriosis. In 40% of cases, endometrioid tumors are found bilaterally.
Endometrium
Endometrioid carcinoma can also arise in the endometrium.
Grades 1 and 2 are considered "type 1"
endometrial cancer, while grade 3 is considered "type 2".
File:Pie chart of relative incidences of endometrial carcinoma.png, Relative incidences of endometrial carcinoma
Endometrial cancer is a cancer that arises from the endometrium (the lining of the uterus or womb). It is the result of the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. The first sign is most o ...
s by histopathology, being endometrioid in a majority of cases
Light microscopy
Light microscopy shows tubular glands, resembling endometrium.
Molecular biology
CTNNB1 and PTEN mutations
Ovarian and endometrial endometrioid carcinomas have distinct
CTNNB1
Catenin beta-1, also known as beta-catenin (β-catenin), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''CTNNB1'' gene.
Beta-catenin is a dual function protein, involved in regulation and coordination of cell–cell adhesion and gene transcriptio ...
and PTEN
gene mutation
In biology, a mutation is an alteration in the nucleic acid sequence of the genome of an organism, virus, or extrachromosomal DNA. Viral genomes contain either DNA or RNA. Mutations result from errors during DNA or viral replication, mitos ...
profiles.
PTEN mutations are more frequent in low-grade endometrial endometrioid carcinomas (67%) compared with low-grade ovarian endometrioid carcinomas (17%). By contrast, CTNNB1 mutations are significantly different in low-grade ovarian endometrioid carcinomas (53%) compared with low-grade endometrial endometrioid carcinomas (28%). This difference in CTNNB1 mutation frequency may be reflective of the distinct
tumoral microenvironments; the epithelial cells lining an
endometriotic cyst within the
ovary are exposed to a highly
oxidative environment that promotes
tumorigenesis
Carcinogenesis, also called oncogenesis or tumorigenesis, is the formation of a cancer, whereby normal cells are transformed into cancer cells. The process is characterized by changes at the cellular, genetic, and epigenetic levels and abnor ...
.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Endometrioid Tumor
Gynaecological cancer