Hormonal and molecular aspects of endometrioid endometrial cancer

This thesis concerns the expression and prognostic value of various hormones and molecular markers playing a role n endometrioid endometrial cancer. Especially we were interested in the enzyme aromatase, its expression and (prognostic) role in endometrioid endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer is the most common genital tract malignancy in women. Two major histological types can be distinguished; endometrioid endometrial cancer, and nonendometrioid endometrial cancer including high-grade malignancies like serous papillary and clear cell carcinoma. The most common form, involving more than 75% of all cases of endometrial cancer is endometrioid carcinoma. Generally it is believed that continuous estrongenic hyperstimulation of the postmenopausal endometrium gives rise to endometrial tissue hyperplasia followed by atypical hyperplasia. Eventually endometrioid endometrial cancer may develop. These estrogens mainly originate from peripheral conversion in body fat and androgens, originating from the adrenal glands and ovaries. The enzyme complex cytochrome P450 aromatase, main subject of this thesis, plays a key role in the (peripheral) conversion of androgens into estrogens.