Menopausal hormone therapy and ovarian and endometrial cancers: Long-term follow-up of the Women’s Health Initiative randomized trials.

Authors

null

Rowan T. Chlebowski

The Lundquist Research Institute, Torrance, CA

Rowan T. Chlebowski , Aaron K. Aragaki , Kathy Pan , Reina Haque , Thomas E Rohan , Mihae Song , Jean Wactawski-Wende , Dorothy Lane , Holly Harris , Howard D. Strickler , Andrew Kaunitz , Carolyn D. Runowicz

Organizations

The Lundquist Research Institute, Torrance, CA, Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Downey, CA, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, University of Buffalo Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Buffalo, NY, Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, Albert Einsten College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Florida College of Medicine Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL, Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Miami, FL

Research Funding

U.S. National Institutes of Health
National Cancer Institute

Background: After decades of use,menopausal hormone therapy influence on ovarian and endometrial cancer remains unsettled. Therefore, we assessed the long-term influence of conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and CEE-alone use on ovarian and endometrial cancer incidence and mortality in long-term follow-up of the Women’s Health Initiative randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Methods: Long-term follow-up of two placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials that recruited 27,347 postmenopausal women aged 50-79 years without prior breast cancer or invasive cancer within 10 years (and no baseline endometrial pathology in combined hormone trial participants) from 40 US centers from 1993-1998. In 16,608 women with a uterus, 8,506 were randomized to daily 0.625 mg/d of CEE plus 2.5 mg/d of MPA and 8,102, placebo. In 10,739 women with prior hysterectomy, 5,310 were randomized to daily 0.625 mg/d of CEE-alone and 5,429, placebo. Intervention was stopped for cause before the planned 8.5-year intervention after 5.6 years (CEE plus MPA) and after 7.2 years (CEE-alone). Cancers were verified by central pathology report review. Mortality findings were enhanced by serial National Death Index (NDI) queries. The primary study outcomes were ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer incidence and related mortality. Results: After 20-year follow-up, with mortality information for > 98%; in the initial WHI report on CEE-alone influence on ovarian cancer, CEE-alone, versus placebo, significantly increased ovarian cancer incidence (35 cases [0.041% annualized rate] vs 17 [0.020%]; hazard ratio [HR], 2.04; 95% CI 1.14-3.65; P = 0.01) and ovarian cancer mortality (HR 2.79 95% CI 1.30-5.99, P = 0.006). KM-estimates and cumulative hazard ratios indicate a persistent CEE-alone adverse effect on ovarian cancer incidence that emerged after 12-years follow-up and did not diminish (P = 0.006). In contrast, use of CEE plus MPA, versus placebo, did not increase ovarian cancer incidence (75 cases [0.051%] vs 63 [0.045%]; HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.82-1.59; P = 0.44) or ovarian cancer mortality (HR 1.21 95% CI 0.84-1.74). CEE plus MPA did significantly lower endometrial cancer incidence (106 cases [0.073%] vs 140 [0.10%]; HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.56-0.92; P = 0.01), without statistically significant influence on endometrial mortality (HR 0.58 95% CI 0.29-1.16) Conclusions: In randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial settings, CEE-alone, in women with prior hysterectomy, significantly increased ovarian cancer incidence and increased ovarian cancer mortality while CEE plus MPA, in women with a uterus, in contrast to most observational studies, did not. However, CEE plus MPA reduced endometrial cancer incidence. These findings inform decisions regarding menopausal hormone therapy use. Clinical trial information: NCT00000611.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2024 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Oral Abstract Session

Session Title

Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Genetics

Track

Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Genetics

Sub Track

Cancer Prevention

Clinical Trial Registration Number

NCT00000611

Citation

J Clin Oncol 42, 2024 (suppl 16; abstr 10506)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2024.42.16_suppl.10506

Abstract #

10506

Abstract Disclosures

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