Hormone therapy (HT) in Women with Gynecologic Cancers and in Women at High Risk for Developing a Gynecologic Cancer

Publication Date: May 1, 2020

Last Updated: March 3, 2023

Objective

This patient summary means to discuss key recommendations from the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) for hormone therapy (HT) in women with gynecologic cancers.

Overview

Natural menopause occurs gradually as female hormone production declines. Most treatments for cancers in female organs cause a sudden menopause with more severe symptoms.
- Symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, flushing, sexual and urinary dysfunction, premature bone loss and increased risk of heart and circulation problems.
This patient summary identifies patients that can be safely treated for menopause without increasing their cancer risk.

Note: These recommendations result from clinical trials that found no difference between patients who were treated with hormones and similar patients who were not.

Diagnosis

Cancers are usually typed by location and by their appearance under a microscope. Some require genetic studies.

Recommendations for hormone therapy in gynecologic cancer survivors and women at high risk for developing gynecologic cancer

Patient Status	Type of Cancer	Hormone Therapy
Survivors of cancer	Endometrial cancer
	Early-stage endometrial cancer	Acceptable
	Advanced stage endometrial cancer	Not recommended
	Uterine sarcoma	Not recommended
	Ovarian cancer
	High grade serous ovarian cancer	Acceptable
	Low grade serous and endometrioid ovarian cancer	Not recommended
	Cervical cancer	Acceptable
Women at high risk	Breast cancer and Lynch syndrome
	BRCA mutation with no personal history of breast cancer	Acceptable
	BRCA mutation with personal history of breast cancer	Not recommended
	Lynch syndrome*	Acceptable
* Lynch syndrome is a genetic condition that increases the risk of many cancers, most commonly in the colon.

Treatment

The growth of most female cancers is increased by female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) that also prevent symptoms of menopause.
Treatment of these cancers often involves medicines or radiation that inactivates the female hormones or surgery to remove the ovaries that produce the hormones.

Abbreviations

HT: Hormone Therapy
SGO: Society Of Gynecologic Oncology

Source Citation

Sinno AK, Pinkerton J, Febbraro T, Jones N, Khanna N, Temkin S, Iglesias D, Pothuri B. Hormone therapy (HT) in women with gynecologic cancers and in women at high risk for developing a gynecologic cancer: A Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) clinical practice statement: This practice statement has been endorsed by The North American Menopause Society. Gynecol Oncol. 2020 May;157(2):303-306. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2020.01.035. Epub 2020 Feb 15. PMID: 32067815.

Disclaimer

The information in this patient summary should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.