Is there an increased risk for ovarian cancer with long-term use of estrogen alone?
A. An observational study of women who took estrogen alone found that women who used estrogen alone for 10-19 years were twice as likely to develop ovarian cancer as those who did not use postmenopausal hormones. (Absolute number was about 7 cases per 10,000 women years compared to 4.4 per 10,000 women years if estrogens were never used.) If women used estrogen for twenty years or longer, the number increased to 14 per 10,000 person years.
Related Questions
- What is the genetic basis for an increased risk of ovarian cancer? How does it relate to risk for breast cancer?
- How often are these cancers hereditary? How can an increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer be inherited?
- Are there other genetic conditions associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer?
