A recent article published in the Annals of Research in Oncology (Vol. 5 June 2025) looks at the similarities between the behavior of some cancers and endometriosis. The article states, "Endometriosis, defined by the presence of endometrial-like tissue beyond the uterine cavity, afflicts over 190 million young women worldwide and often significantly reduces quality of life. Despite being historically classified as a benign gynecologic disorder, endometriosis can mimic cancer in imaging findings, serum tumor markers, and molecular signature." The article urges a different approach to the disease due to the fact that the current approach takes so long to diagnose (8-10 years on average) and leads many women down the path of repeated surgeries and hormone therapy that does little to treat the disease. The impact statement of the article urges a different approach altogether, "This perspective advocates a structured translational approach, integrating meticulous preclinical validation, phase-appropriate clinical trials, and rigorous safeguards in artificial intelligence and biomarker development, to bridge critical gaps in understanding disease biology."

We have summarized the points of the article below and also put the link to the full article. We fully believe that it is time for a different approach and are looking for opportunities to support research that is happening in the study of Endometriosis. Please join us in raising awareness and making some noise on the topic.

Summary of Article (in an oversimplified manner):

Why Endometriosis Acts Like Cancer

• It spreads like cancer.

  • It can grow into nearby organs and even travel around the body—just like cancer does. It invades nearby tissue and can spread to just about any place in the body including the brain, the tissue in your legs, lymph nodes...they have found it just about everywhere.

• It tricks doctors.

  • On scans and in lab tests, it looks just like cancer, so people sometimes get misdiagnosed. Even trickier, more often than not, Endometriosis lesions are not detectable on imaging which means that a diagnostic laparoscopic surgery is needed for diagnosis. Imagine how long that prolongs diagnosis and how often the diagnostic surgery is not covered by insurance. Even worse, how often women are told that "all is normal" because nothing was detected on imaging.

• It won’t stop growing.

  • The tissue doesn’t follow normal rules—it keeps growing even when it’s not supposed to. Healthy cells know when to stop growing. Endometriosis doesn't. It uses the same tricks that cancer cells do to stay alive and keep growing.

• It builds its own blood supply.

  • Like cancer, it tells the body to grow new blood vessels to feed it. The article gets into more specifics by explaining that endometriosis uses high levels of VEGF, MIF, and prostaglandins to build blood vessels - a hallmark of tumor growth.

• It hides from the immune system.

  • It finds ways to stay safe, so the body doesn’t attack it—just like some cancer cells.

• It has messed-up signals.

  • Inside the cells, the “messages” that tell cells when to grow or die are broken. These are the same bad messages found in cancer cells.

What These Doctors Are Saying:

• Endometriosis has many of the same cell problems that cancer does.

• Some women with endometriosis have a higher risk of getting a certain kind of ovarian cancer.

• Doctors think we should study and treat it more like cancer, using:

  • Special medicines that stop growth

  • Tests to find it earlier

  • Research on how to stop it from coming back

Link to Full Article: https://www.annals-research-oncology.com/endometriosis-a-cancer-mimicking-disease-and-the-need-for-a-translational-perspective/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLlQcFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHqFrMR3_Oq8BtUTtmcbBtS--JEuUNB9URu8mJc-agQ5h7IUDKQ6dt7c6Ht_Y_aem_Hbg6G8WedtbFtM5PnYzzSA