Eicosanoid networks in endometrial carcinogenesis

Endometrial cancer or womb cancer is the most common gynaecological cancer. Its incidence has trebled over the last decade and each year around 6,800 women in the UK are diagnosed with the disease. The average age of women diagnosed is 63, although this disease can also affect younger, premenopausal women and compromise their fertility. The most common form of this disease develops from a benign stage, known as ‘endometrial hyperplasia’, which is an abnormal thickening of the womb lining. It is frequently diagnosed at an early stage, where it can often be cured by a hysterectomy.  In a significant number of cases, however, the cancer can come back and, sadly, some of these women will die.

Eicosanoids are a large family of lipid (fat-like) molecules that regulate many normal processes in the body. It is also known that certain eicosanoids play a role in the development of many cancers, including that of the womb. The research team proposes to measure 48 eicosanoids in 201 tissue samples, taken from normal wombs, wombs with endometrial hyperplasia and with endometrial cancer tissues. Using new technology, which allows for the simultaneous measurement of multiple molecules in body tissues and fluids, the research team hope to revolutionise our understanding of the complex role played by eicosanoids in cancer.

This projects aims to improve our understanding of how endometrial cancer develops from normal endometrium to hyperplasia to cancer. This study will provide important information, which could lead to the development of new more targeted drugs and tailored treatments for individual patients and, ideally, will help us to prevent womb cancer from developing in the first place. It will also generate a very important tissue bank for future studies.

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