Non-hormonal targets for the medical treatment of endometriosis

Endometriosis is a chronic condition characterized by growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. Common symptoms include dysmenorrhoea, dyspareunia, non-cyclic pelvic pain, and infertility. Endometriosis is often treated surgically upon diagnosis but with a higher rate of recurrence, suggesting that a combination of surgical and medical management might provide better outcomes. The primary goal of medical treatment is to interrupt the growth and activity of endometriosis lesions. Because of the chronic nature of this disease, long-term or repeated courses of medication may be required to control symptoms. Increasing knowledge about the pathogenesis of endometriosis at the cellular and molecular levels may give us the opportunity to use new pharmaceutical agents affecting angiogenesis, inflammation, oxidative stress, proliferation or apoptosis to prevent or inhibit the development of endometriosis.