Clinical trials

Assessing change in Anti-Mullerian Hormone (ovarian reserve) associated with surgical excision vs conservative management of endometrioma: A longitudinal cohort study

This study aims to investigate how ovarian reserve changes over time in patients with endometriomas left alone compared to those who have endometriomas surgically removed.

This study will assess the ovarian reserve using a blood test to measure anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), which is secreted by the ovary and correlates with the number of available follicles (hosting future eggs).

Who can participate?

Epworth patients aged 25-37 presenting with an ultrasound diagnosis of endometrioma (defined as the presence of one or more endometriosis ovarian cysts ≥2cm diameter) may be eligible to participate in this study. 

Email [email protected] to find out more from our research team.

Understanding the causes of gastrointestinal symptoms in people with endometriosis – a pilot study 

People who suffer from endometriosis often suffer from IBS and/or gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms (e.g. bloating, abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhoea). However, we still do not know what causes these GI symptoms associated with endometriosis. This study aims to identify the cause of GI symptoms in women with endometriosis. Specifically focusing on whether these symptoms are caused by chronic inflammation and/or as a result of having a highly sensitive gut wall.  

Who can participate?

You may be eligible for this study if you:

• live in metro Melbourne 
• are over 18 years of age
• have been diagnosed with endometriosis and IBS
• are not pregnant or breastfeeding 
• are not recovering from recent abdominal surgery 
• are not suffering from another gut disorder i.e. coeliac disease
• have no history of hysterectomy, oophorectomy or bowel resection. 

To find out more, email [email protected] or take the study screening survey and a member of the research team will be in touch.

A prospective longitudinal cohort study of the effect of conservative and surgical management for moderate to severe endometriosis on future fertility

This study will document the monthly chances of pregnancy from trying naturally in two groups of patients: those who have had surgery and those who have not. The same comparison will also be made for patients trying for pregnancy through in vitro fertilisation (IVF). In addition, this study will assess the effect of no surgery compared to surgery on future pregnancy in patients who are not yet trying to start a family.

Who can participate?

Epworth patients may be eligible if you:

• are less than 38 years of age
• have desire for fertility (current or future)
• have evidence of untreated moderate or severe endometriosis on diagnostic laparoscopy or expert imaging. 

Email [email protected] to find out more from our research team.

Longitudinal Study of Teenagers with Endometriosis, Period and Pelvic Pain in Australia

The LongSTEPPP project aims to find out how we can best care for young people experiencing period pain, pelvic pain, or who may have suspected or confirmed endometriosis.

The project asks you and your parent/guardian to complete annual questionnaires (about periods, pain, quality of life and mental health) which take about an hour per year, done online at your own pace. Young people don’t see how their parent answers and vice versa.

Who can participate?

You may be eligible for this study if:

• you are between the ages of 10 and 18 years
• you ave been referred to a gynaecologist for dysmenorrhoea, pelvic pain, and suspected or diagnosed endometriosis
• both you and your parent/guardian are willing to take part.

To find out more from our research team, email [email protected]

This study aims to investigate the potential association between endometriosis and miscarriage. Pregnancy outcomes of a large group of women who have evidence of moderate to severe endometriosis (EMSE) will be observed and compared to patients who have never been diagnosed with endometriosis. The outcomes of this study may help researchers and clinicians understand the link between endometriosis and miscarriage, potentially guiding future research for healthier pregnancies.

Who can participate?

You may be eligible for this study if you:

• <38 years of age
• Have a desire for fertility (current or future), including those with infertility
• Previous gynaecological laparoscopic surgery indicating NO endometriosis (any indication) within 24 months of enrolment, OR no prior diagnosis of endometriosis AND no history of significant period pain (dysmenorrhea) necessitating specialist input AND an expert tertiary level ultrasound demonstrating absence of findings consistent with endometriosis.

To find out more from our research team, email [email protected]

National Endometriosis Clinical and Scientific Trials (NECST) Registry

This project aims to establish a National Endometriosis Clinical Registry to facilitate high-quality research that will help and improve the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis for people diagnosed with endometriosis and adenomyosis.

The NECST Registry also aims to assess the long-term impact and life courses of endometriosis symptoms and diagnosis, consistent with the research objectives in the National Action Plan for Endometriosis and RANZCOG Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Endometriosis.

Who can participate?

You may be eligible for this study if you are over 18 years of age, and:

• are being investigated due to symptoms possibly relating to endometriosis or adenomyosis (e.g. persistent pelvic pains, problems with fertility, abnormal uterine bleeding, etc), or
• you been diagnosed with endometriosis and/or adenomyosis, or
• are being managed with symptoms relating to endometriosis and/or adenomyosis.

To find out more from our research team, email [email protected].

Currently, the only reliable way of diagnosing endometriosis is through keyhole surgery, which can be risky and expensive. This research project aims to improve the ability to diagnose endometriosis without surgery, by combining the digital information from endometriosis-specific ultrasound scans and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) tests, using computer algorithms (machine learning).

Who can participate?

You may be eligible for this study if you:

• Are aged 18 to 45 years
• Have symptoms of endometriosis
• Have recently had an endometriosis specific ultrasound or MRI

To find out more from our research team, email [email protected]

Persistent Pelvic Pain (PPP) is very commonly associated with endometriosis. However, when laparoscopies are undertaken to look for endometriosis associated with PPP, approximately one third of patients will not have endometriosis if their ultrasound beforehand was “normal”. Therefore, up to one third of patients undergo surgery for conditions that could be treated non-surgically.

This study will be asking patients who are already planning to have a laparoscopy for investigation of their PPP to fill out a questionnaire about their symptoms and medical history before their operation. We will also measure their anogenital distance (distance between from the vagina to the anus, which is associated with chance of endometriosis) while they are asleep under the anaesthetic for their surgery. We will then check if endometriosis was diagnosed and use this all of this information to develop an “endometriosis calculator” that can predict if endometriosis is likely to be diagnosed in a person with PPP.

Who can participate?

You may be eligible for this study if you:

• are between the age of 18 and 45
• are experiencing persistent pelvic pain
• are scheduled for a laparoscopy for possible endometriosis
• have had an ultrasound within the last 24 months that shows no evidence of endometriosis.

Email [email protected] to find out more from our research team.

This study is divided into two projects. Both aim to improve the quality of life for those living with endometriosis through improved diagnosis of initial and recurrent disease.

Project 1: Aims to establish a clinical prediction tool or questionnaire to help estimate the likelihood of recurrent endometriosis.

Project 2: Aims to identify new non-invasive endometriosis biomarkers.

Who can participate?

Patients scheduled for laparoscopic procedure for diagnosis and/or management of pelvic and/or endometriosis at Epworth HealthCare, and aged 18-45 years may be eligible for this study.

Email [email protected] to find out more from our research team.

Exploring the prevalence, type and frequency of bowel symptoms in people with, and without endometriosis and the role of psychological distress and endometriosis phenotype on symptom generation

People with endometriosis often experience chronic abdominal pain and bowel symptoms such as bloating, constipation and diarrhoea. These gut symptoms are also characteristics of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This study aims to explore the differences between IBS and endometriosis by distinguishing the types of symptoms experienced, how these symptoms affect day to day living and to identify differences in the types of bacteria that inhabit the gut and vagina of people with and without endometriosis. 

Who can participate?

You may be eligible for this study if you:

• are over 18 years of age
• have been told you do not have endometriosis following a laparoscopy, and
• experience gut symptoms such as bloating, diarrhoea and/or constipation.

You can also participate in the study if you are a healthy individual who does not have endometriosis or experience gut symptoms. 

To find out more, email [email protected]

Julia Argyrou Endometriosis Centre at Epworth

The JAECE Biobank is a prospective study which aims to collect biospecimens and clinical data from patients with both endometriosis and benign gynaecological conditions for future ethics-approved research. Building a research biobank is key to delivering evidence-based improved healthcare services and outcomes for endometriosis. Specimens collected for the biobank include blood, peritoneal fluid, endometriotic lesions, endometrioma, endometrium and hysterectomy specimens. 

Who can participate?

You may be eligible for this study if you are:

• 18 years or older
• pre-menopausal
• planned for surgery (laparoscopy or laparotomy) and/or gynaecological procedure (hysteroscopy with dilation and curettage [D&C]) for investigation and/or management of endometriosis OR a benign gynaecological condition at Epworth HealthCare. 

To find out more from our research team, email [email protected]

Assessing the role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as a non-invasive, early diagnostic method for endometriosis in adolescents and young adults: MRI-ENDO Study

This study aims to determine the sensitivity and specificity for MRI in endometriosis in young patients.

Who can participate?

Epworth patients aged 16-25 years of age, who are clinically suspected of having endometriosis and are planned for a laparoscopy at Epworth HealthCare may be eligible for this study. Email [email protected] to find out more from our research team. 

Pelvic floor muscle tenderness in women having investigative laparoscopy for pelvic pain: a prospective cohort study

Prior to a participant’s first laparoscopy for the investigation of persistent pelvic pain, this study will investigate if they experience tenderness and tension in their pelvic floor muscles, and whether this is associated with their pelvic pain.

This study will also investigate whether the pelvic floor muscle tenderness and tension, and pelvic pain, change following the laparoscopy. It will investigate this in the short term (3 months) and the medium term (1 year). 

Who can participate?

Epworth patients aged 18-50 years with pelvic pain for 6 months or longer may be eligible for this study. You must also:

• be scheduled for a laparoscopy for investigation of pelvic pain
• have no prior history of surgically treated endometriosis. 

Email [email protected] to find out more from our research team.

The pelvic microbiome in endometriosis: A prospective case-control study (PELME)

This study aims to investigate the pelvic microbiome of patients with endometriosis compared to those without. Biospecimens will be collected during laparoscopy and analysed to identify organisms.

Who can participate?

Epworth patients scheduled for laparoscopy for treatment of previously confirmed or clinically suspected endometriosis, or other benign gynaecological conditions, and are 18 years or older may be eligible to participate in this study.  

Email [email protected] to find out more from our research team.

Exosomes as Peripheral Biomarkers of Endometriosis

This study aims to isolate endometriosis-specific extracellular vesicles from peritoneal fluid of endometriosis patients and then compare these to vesicles from peripheral blood of the same patients to see if these vesicles may serve as biomarkers of endometriosis. If blood-borne biomarkers specific to endometriosis are found as a result of this research, future patients could be diagnosed with a simple blood test. 

Who can participate?

You may be eligible for this study if you:

• are aged between 18 and 49 years 
• are pre-menopausal
• are scheduled to undergo elective gynaecological laparoscopy or hysterectomy, for various benign gynaecological conditions (e.g. diagnostic laparoscopy for chronic pelvic pain, treatment of previously confirmed or clinically suspected endometriosis, treatment of ovarian cysts, tubal ligation, treatment of fibroids, etc.)
• are not currently pregnant
• do not have any malignancies confirmed on recent histopathological reports

To find out more, email [email protected] and a member of the research team will be in touch.

Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) is a marker used to measure ovarian reserve. Previous studies have shown a decline in AMH with ovarian endometriosis. The study will access human tissue bank specimens. This study will assess if there is a difference in AMH with minimal/mild endometriosis compared to moderate/severe endometriosis. The study will increase our understanding of endometriosis- related infertility, allowing clinicians to better counsel patients regarding their long-term reproduction outcomes and fertility preservation needs.

This study will use Epworth pregnancy outcome data and data from Epworth inpatient hospital admissions for surgical procedures, to retrospectively assess whether any association exists between a history of surgical treatment of (any) endometriosis and poor pregnancy outcomes for mothers or their babies. This study will also assess whether the type of endometriosis (e.g. the severity and the pelvic tissues involved) has any relationship to the subsequent obstetric and neonatal outcomes.