Background: Endometriosis is a benign gynecologic condition that has the risk of malignant transformation in approximately 0.5–1% of cases, most of which develop into endometriosis-associated ovarian cancers (EAOCs), such as clear cell and endometrioid adenocarcinomas. The current systematic review aims to condense recent information on the genetic and molecular mechanisms, clinical risk factors, and possible therapeutic targets of the malignant transformation of endometriosis. Methods: A systematic literature search of PubMed, Europe PMC, and Google Scholar was carried out according to PRISMA guidelines for articles published until December 2024. Following a screening of 44,629 titles, 43 full articles were included after meeting inclusion criteria. No case reports or reviews were included, and articles had to mention a malignant transformation of endometriosis and not just a diagnosis of cancer. The quality and risk of bias of studies were evaluated using ROBINS-I. Results: Malignant transformation of endometriosis is associated with genetic alterations, including ARID1A mutations, microsatellite instability, and abnormal PI3K/Akt and mTOR pathway activation. Increased oxidative stress, inflammation-driven mismatch repair deficiency, and epigenetic alterations like RUNX3 and RASSF2 hypermethylation are implicated in carcinogenesis. Clinical risk factors are advanced age (40–60 years), large ovarian endometriomas (>9 cm), postmenopausal status, and prolonged estrogen exposure. Imaging techniques like MR relaxometry and risk models based on machine learning are highly predictive for early detection. Conclusions: Endometriosis carcinogenesis is a multifactorial process driven by genetic changes, oxidative stress, and inflammatory mechanisms. Identification of high-risk individuals through molecular and imaging biomarkers may result in early detection and personalized therapy. Further research should aim at the development of more precise predictive models and exploration of precision medicine approaches to inhibit the emergence of EAOC.
Background/Objectives: Adenomyosis is increasingly being identified in women of childbearing age as a cause of infertility and adverse pregnancy outcomes. As hysterectomies are not suitable for fertile women, conservative surgical management has become a promising solution. We aimed to synthesize current evidence on conservative uterus-sparing surgical techniques for adenomyosis, focusing on implications for infertility treatment and pregnancy outcomes. Methods: A search of PubMed, Google Scholar, and Europe PMC from 2022 to July 2025 was conducted using combinations of the words “adenomyosis,” “fertility,” “infertility,” “pregnancy outcomes,” “adenomyomectomy,” and “uterine-sparing surgery.” Sixteen high-relevance studies were chosen that included reproductive-aged women who had conservative surgery for adenomyosis. Results: Excisional techniques such as adenomyomectomy yield pregnancy rates of >50% and live birth rates of up to 70% in focal disease, with less success in diffuse disease. Non-excisional approaches—high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and uterine artery embolization (UAE)—yield equivalent pregnancy (40–53%) and live birth (35–74%) rates in selected patients, with fewer surgical complications. Adjunctive hormonal therapy, particularly GnRH agonists, appears to improve outcomes. Risks include placenta accreta spectrum disorders and uterine rupture (≤6%), especially in diffuse adenomyosis. The type of lesion, location, and junctional zone thickness are strong predictors of fertility outcomes. Conclusions: Conservative surgery can augment fertility in appropriately chosen women with adenomyosis, with removal being the preferred treatment for focal disease and non-removal techniques offering encouraging alternatives in mild or intracorporeal disease. The addition of adjunct hormonal therapy and standardized patient selection criteria will optimize results. The lack of European professional society guidelines underscores the need for harmonized protocols in order to standardize the diagnosis, surgery, and reporting of results.
Background: Endometriosis is characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. Beyond medical treatment, surgical intervention is also a viable consideration. However, current guidelines do not clearly indicate whether laparoscopic cystectomy, ablative methods (CO2 laser vaporization, plasma energy), or sclerotherapy is the preferred option. Methods: We conducted searches in two databases (PubMed and Europe PMC) to retrieve articles containing the keywords ‘surgical intervention for Endometrioma, ovarian reserve, pregnancy rates, fertility’, published between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2023. We included articles presenting information on surgical intervention for endometrioma and its correlation with infertility parameters. Articles describing conservative treatment were excluded. Data were extracted by two authors using predefined criteria. Results: The initial database search produced 1376 articles, which were narrowed down to 41 relevant articles meeting the eligibility criteria. Conclusions: Laparoscopic cystectomy appears to impact postoperative anti-mullerian hormone levels, showing a stronger correlation with larger cysts and individual factors. CO2 laser vaporization demonstrates favorable results compared to traditional cystectomy. Combining GnRH agonist treatment with assisted reproduction treatment after cystectomy could be considered an alternative method. Plasma energy causes less damage to ovarian function, with pregnancy outcomes comparable to cystectomy. Sclerotherapy shows promising results for ovarian reserve preservation, recurrence rates, and safety. Further studies comparing these techniques are necessary to provide guidance to clinicians.