Abstract
As part of a comprehensive case-control study, the impact of previous endometrial pathology on the risk of developing endometrial carcinoma was investigated. The study comprised 254 consecutive women with histopatholo-gically confirmed cancer of the uterine body in a well-defined population, and their age-matched controls. Ninety-eight (39%) of the patients and 81 (32%) of the controls had previously undergone endometrial curettage. More than one previous curettage was positively associated with endometrial carcinoma (odds ratio = 2.5; 95% CL = 1.4–4.5). Endometrial abnormalities in previous curettage specimens occurred significantly more often among carcinoma patients (57%) than among controls (25%) (odds ratio = 4.0; 95% CL = 2.0–8.0). Twelve patients, but no controls, had adenomatous hyperplasia and this hyperplasia antedated the cancer diagnosis by a mean of 4.6 years. Endometrial polyps were present significantly more often in patients (20%) than in controls (10%) (odds ratio = 3.4; 95% CL = 1.3–9.3). The present results suggest that both of thes; conditions are risk factors for endometrial carcinoma. Among women who had undergone endometrial curettage more than 4 years after the menopause, 19 out of 30 patients, but none out of 7 controls, showed abnormality in the curettage specimens. Postmenopausal women with endometrial abnormality should thus be regarded as being at risk of developing endometrial carcinoma.