ABSTRACT
Endometrial carcinoma is the fifth most common cancer in women worldwide-approximately 150,000 new cases are diagnosed each year (1). The incidence of endometrial carcinoma is higher in the developed world, with highest rates occurring in North America and Europe (the incidence in whites is twice as high as in blacks). In Japan and the developing countries, the rate is four to five times lower. Endometrial carcinoma of the more common endometrioid type is associated with a hormone-dependent precursor lesion-endometrial hyper-plasia. This is a condition resulting from unopposed estrogen stimulation. It has been demonstrated that, in postmenopausal women, high estrone and albumin-bound estradiol levels are associated with increased risk in comparison with similar levels in premenopausal women (2).
