Almost half of women with endometrial cancer or hyperplasia do not know that obesity affects their cancer risk

Abstract

An estimated 52,630 cases of endometrial cancer were diagnosed in 2014 (Siegel et al., 2014), and up to 40% of these are attributable to obesity (Polednak, 2008). Women of low socioeconomic status and minority race, especially Hispanic and African-American women, are disproportionally obese and at increased risk (Ogden et al., 2010). Most cases of endometrial cancer, particularly type 1, estrogen-dependent cancers, will be curable with surgery with or without adjuvant therapy (Sorosky, 2012). The leading cause of death after treatment for endometrial cancer is cardiovascular disease (Ward et al., 2012) and the link between obesity and death from cardiovascular disease is well established (Malnick and Knobler, 2006). Obesity is also linked to increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer and infertility (Malnick and Knobler, 2006). While over 90% of the general public is aware of the impact of obesity on cardiovascular disease (Lake S. Perry and Associates, 2003), studies show that as few as 18–42% of women are aware of the association between endometrial cancer and obesity (Cardozo et al., 2012a, Cardozo et al., 2012b, Soliman et al., 2008). These studies evaluated populations that largely consisted of White and African-American, college-educated women. Additionally, no study has specifically evaluated knowledge in women who had been diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia or cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate knowledge of obesity's health risks in a population of underserved, predominantly Hispanic women. We sought to determine baseline health literacy with regard to obesity's cardiovascular and reproductive health risks, and to compare knowledge between women with endometrial hyperplasia and cancer versus unaffected controls.