Journal of South Asian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Register      Login

VOLUME 17 , ISSUE 1 ( January-February, 2025 ) > List of Articles

REVIEW ARTICLE

Menopausal Hormonal Therapy and Ovarian Cancer—An Update: A Literature Review

Mohsen MA Abdelhafez, Karim AM Ahmed, Nashwa AM Ahmed, Mohd Hamdy Ismail, Mohd Nazri Bin Mohd Daud, Ayaa M Eldisty, Mohd Fariz Bin Amri, Mohammad Saffree Jeffree, Fairrul Kadir, DG Marshitah PG Baharuddin, Mohammed Firdaus Bin Bolong, Firdaus Hayati, Nornazirah Bt Azizan, Doreen Sumpat, Syed Sharizman Syed Abdul Rahim, Win W Than, Yusof Ibrahim, Zhen Zhen Lo, May Zaw Soe

Keywords : Combined estrogen–progestogen therapy, Menopause: estrogen–progestogen, Menopausal hormone therapy, Ovarian cancer

Citation Information : Abdelhafez MM, Ahmed KA, Ahmed NA, Ismail MH, Daud MN, Eldisty AM, Amri MF, Jeffree MS, Kadir F, Baharuddin DM, Bolong MF, Hayati F, Azizan NB, Sumpat D, Rahim SS, Than WW, Ibrahim Y, Lo ZZ, Soe MZ. Menopausal Hormonal Therapy and Ovarian Cancer—An Update: A Literature Review. J South Asian Feder Obs Gynae 2025; 17 (1):131-135.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10006-2588

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 28-03-2025

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2025; The Author(s).


Abstract

Menopausal hormone replacement therapy (MHT/HT) was the recommended course of treatment for regulating menopause before 2002 when publishing the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). Menopausal hormone replacement therapy (MHT/HT) and the WHI were the recommended courses of treatment for regulating menopause before 2002. This study aims to evaluate previous studies looking at the connection between MHT consumption and ovarian cancer risk and subanalyze the magnitude of this risk (if any) according to the type of hormone used and other confounders. A systematic search was accomplished through medical databases such as PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and others to gather the most recent and relevant articles investigating the issue to build up a body of evidence-based recommendations and guidelines required by women's carers to counsel and prescribe MHT for postmenopausal women who opted to use these medications. The study concluded that, following the publishing of the outcomes of WHI trials, many countries had seen a dramatic decrease in MHT prescription because of raised suspicions of increased risks of developing gynecological cancers associated with its use. The major worries were linked to breast and ovarian cancers as well as endometrial cancer for unopposed estrogen therapy users.


PDF Share
  1. Ortmann O, Beckermann MJ, Inwald EC, et al. Periand postmenopause—diagnosis and interventions interdisciplinary S3 guideline of the association of the scientific medical societies in Germany (AWMF 015/062): Short version. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2020;302(3):763–777. DOI: 10.1007/s00404-020-05682-4.
  2. The NAMS 2017 Hormone Therapy Position Statement Advisory Panel. The 2017 hormone therapy position statement of the North American Menopause Society. Menopause 2017;24(7):728–753. DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000000921.
  3. Brennan A, Rees M. Menopausal hormone therapy in women with benign gynaecological conditions and cancer. Best Pract Res 2021;35(6):101575. DOI: 10.1016/j.beem.2021.101575.
  4. Huber D, Seitz S, Kast K, et al. Hormone replacement therapy in BRCA mutation carriers and risk of ovarian, endometrial, and breast cancer: A systematic review. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2021;147(7):2035–2045. DOI: 10.1007/S00432-021-03629-Z.
  5. Lee AW, Wu AH, Wiensch A, et al. Estrogen plus progestin hormone therapy and ovarian cancer: A complicated relationship explored. Epidemiology 2020;31(3):402–408. DOI: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001175.
  6. Anderson GL, Judd HL, Kaunitz AM, et al. Effects of estrogen plus progestin on gynecologic cancers and associated diagnostic procedures: The Women's Health Initiative randomized trial. JAMA 2003;290(13):1739–1748. DOI: 10.1001/JAMA.290.13.1739.
  7. Kotsopoulos J, Lubinski J, Neuhausen SL, et al. Hormone replacement therapy and the risk of ovarian cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. Gynecol Oncol 2006;100(1):83–88. DOI: 10.1016/J.YGYNO.2005.07.110.
  8. Perri T, Lifshitz D, Sadetzki S, et al. Fertility treatments and invasive epithelial ovarian cancer risk in Jewish Israeli BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers. Fertil Steril 2015;103(5):1305–1312. DOI: 10.1016/J.FERTNSTERT.2015.02.011.
  9. Simin J, Tamimi RM, Callens S, et al. Menopausal hormone therapy treatment options and ovarian cancer risk: A Swedish prospective population-based matched-cohort study. Int J Cancer 2020;147(1):33–44. DOI: 10.1002/IJC.32706.
  10. Yuk JS, Kim M. Effects of menopausal hormone therapy on the risk of ovarian cancer: Health Insurance Database in South Korea-based cohort study. Menopause 2023;30(5):490–496. DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002176.
  11. Jacob L, Kostev K, Kalder M. Prescription of hormone replacement therapy prior to and after the diagnosis of gynecological cancers in German patients. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2020;146(6):1567–1573. DOI: 10.1007/S00432-020-03185-Y.
  12. Halldorsdottir S, Dahlstrand H, Stålberg K. Gynecologists are afraid of prescribing hormone replacement to endometrial/ovarian cancer survivors despite national guidelines: A survey in Sweden. Ups J Med Sci 2018;123(4):225–229. DOI: 10.1080/03009734.2018.1544597.
  13. D'Alonzo M, Bounous VE, Villa M, et al. Current evidence of the oncological benefit-risk profile of hormone replacement therapy. Medicina (Kaunas) 2019;55(9):573. DOI: 10.3390/MEDICINA55090573.
  14. Simin J, Tamimi R, Lagergren J, et al. Menopausal hormone therapy and cancer risk: An overestimated risk? Eur J Cancer 2017;84:60–68. DOI: 10.1016/J.EJCA.2017.07.012.
  15. Rasmussen ELK, Hannibal CG, Dehlendorff C, et al. Parity, infertility, oral contraceptives, and hormone replacement therapy and the risk of ovarian serous borderline tumors: A nationwide case-control study. Gynecol Oncol 2017;144(3):571–576. DOI: 10.1016/J.YGYNO.2017.01.002.
  16. Temkin SM, Mallen A, Bellavance E, et al. The role of menopausal hormone therapy in women with or at risk of ovarian and breast cancers: Misconceptions and current directions. Cancer 125(4):499–514:2019. DOI: 10.1002/CNCR.31911.
  17. Beral V, Gaitskell K, Hermon C, et al. Menopausal hormone use and ovarian cancer risk: Individual participant meta-analysis of 52 epidemiological studies. Lancet 2015;385(9980):1835–1842. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61687-1.
  18. Mørch LS, Løkkegaard E, Andreasen AH, et al. Hormone therapy and ovarian cancer. JAMA 2009;302(3):298–305. DOI: 10.1001/JAMA.2009.1052.
  19. Brieger KK, Jordon SJ, DeFazio A, et al. Menopausal hormone therapy prior to the diagnosis of ovarian cancer is associated with improved survival. Gynecol Oncol 2020;158(3):702–709. DOI: 10.1016/J.YGYNO.2020.06.481.
  20. Lee HJ, Lee B, Choi H, et al. Impact of hormone replacement therapy on risk of ovarian cancer in postmenopausal women with de novo endometriosis or a history of endometriosis. Cancers (Basel) 2023;15(6):1708. DOI: 10.3390/CANCERS15061708.
  21. Saeaib N, Peeyananjarassri K, Liabsuetrakul T, et al. Hormone replacement therapy after surgery for epithelial ovarian cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2020;1(1):CD012559. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012559.PUB2.
  22. Gershenson DM, Sun CC, Iyer RB, et al. Hormonal therapy for recurrent low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary or peritoneum. Gynecol Oncol 2012;125(3):661–666. DOI: 10.1016/J.YGYNO.2012.02.037.
  23. Wong KK, Lu KH, Malpica A, et al. Significantly greater expression of ER, PR, and ECAD in advanced-stage lowgrade ovarian serous carcinoma as revealed by immunohistochemical analysis. Int J Gynecol Pathol 2007;26(4):404–409. DOI: 10.1097/PGP.0B013E31803025CD.
  24. Power L, Lefas G, Lambert P, et al. Hormone use after nonserous epithelial ovarian cancer: Overall and disease-free survival. Obstet Gynecol 2016;127(5):837–847. DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000001396.
  25. Rees M, Angioli R, Coleman RL, et al. European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) and International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS) position statement on managing the menopause after gynecological cancer: Focus on menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis. Maturitas 2020;134:56–61. DOI: 10.1016/J.MATURITAS.2020.01.005.
  26. Tan DSP, Kaye S. Ovarian clear cell adenocarcinoma: A continuing enigma. J Clin Pathol 2007;60(4):355–360. DOI: 10.1136/JCP.2006.040030.
  27. Cushman M, Kuller LH, Prentice R, et al. Estrogen plus progestin and risk of venous thrombosis. JAMA 2004;292(13):1573–1580. DOI: 10.1001/JAMA.292.13.1573.
  28. Brennan A, Brennan D, Rees M. Management of menopausal symptoms and ovarian function preservation in women with gynecological cancer. Int J Gynecol Cancer 2021;31(3):352–359. DOI: 10.1136/IJGC-2020-002032.
  29. Bergendal A, Kieler H, Sundström A, et al. Risk of venous thromboembolism associated with local and systemic use of hormone therapy in peri- and postmenopausal women and in relation to type and route of administration. Menopause 2016;23(6):593–599. DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000000611.
  30. Van Meurs HS, Van Lonkhuijzen LRCW, Limpens J. Hormone therapy in ovarian granulosa cell tumors: A systematic review. Gynecol Oncol 2014;134(1):196–205. DOI: 10.1016/J.YGYNO.2014.03.573.
PDF Share
PDF Share

© Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) LTD.