ABSTRACT
The infrequent non-endometrioid carcinomas originate from a surface lesion termed an endometrial intraepithelial carcinoma and lack the typical risk factors reflecting unopposed estrogen exposure. A lot of information chemoprevention of steroid sex hormone-related cancers has accrued indirectly as a result of the use of estrogens, progestagens for contraception or hormone replacement therapy in the postmenopause. Besides progestins and oral contraceptives, selective estrogen receptor modulators have recently been assessed as chemopreventive agents. As endometrial cancer arises from hormone-dependent cells, endocrine therapy has been the traditional palliative treatment of advanced disease. The new non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors anastrozole and letrozole have been recently assessed for breast cancer treatment. Hormonal agents may be useful tools for chemoprevention in women at high risk of endometrial cancer. Combination oral contraceptive use reduces the risk ratio of this malignancy. The effect of estrogens in endometrial carcinogenesis can be reduced, prevented or reversed by progesterone or progestins if the are allowed to act for an adequately long period.
