Risk factors for endometrial cancer

Three categories of risk factors for endometrial cancer are reviewed. The first consists of what may be considered as variations in normal anatomy or physiology. Risk factors of this type for endometrial cancer include overweight, nulliparity, and late menopause. Second, certain frank disease states are associated with increased risk of endometrial cancer. These include diabetes mellitus, hypertension, Stein-Leventhal syndrome, and cancers of other sites, particularly of the breast and ovary. Last, exposure to known external causes of a disease may be considered as risk factors. In the context of endometrial cancer, pelvic irradiation and prolonged exogenous estrogen administration are likely risk factors. While the above characteristics serve to focus attention on certain categories of high-risk women they provide no basis for limiting screening to any subgroup of the population.