A review of the status of endometrial cancer.

The histogenesis, pathogenesis, and endocrine background of endometrial cancer are reviewed. The histogenesis can be traced in graded steps through phases which have been designated as: 1) cystic hyperplasia, 2) adenomatous hyperplasia, 3) ana plasia, and 4) carcinoma in situ. A similar sequence of events has been observed in experimental animals when endometrial cancer was induced by the use of methyl cholanthrene. The pathogenesis of endometrial cancer is closely related to anovulation. The occurrence of endometrial cancer in postmenopausal women, anovulatory young women, and in patients with estrogen-secreting ovarian tumors, exogenous estrogen administration, and autonomous endometrial polyps provides the evidence that anovulation is the primary pathogenetic factor. The concept that estrogen stimu lates the appearance of endometrial cancer is at best equivocal and requires further statistical evaluation. Patients with endometrial cancer are very prone to a “habitus― consisting of obe sity, diabetes, a diabetic glucose-tolerance curve, and hypertension.