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Depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate use is associated with decreased risk of ovarian cancer: The mounting evidence of a protective role of progestins

  • Minh Tung Phung
  • , Alice W. Lee
  • , Anna H. Wu
  • , Andrew Berchuck
  • , Kathleen R. Cho
  • , Daniel W. Cramer
  • , Jennifer Anne Doherty
  • , Marc T. Goodman
  • , Gillian E. Hanley
  • , Holly R. Harris
  • , Karen McLean
  • , Francesmary Modugno
  • , Kirsten B. Moysich
  • , Bhramar Mukherjee
  • , Joellen M. Schildkraut
  • , Kathryn L. Terry
  • , Linda J. Titus
  • , Susan J. Jordan
  • , Penelope M. Webb
  • , Malcolm C. Pike
  • Celeste Leigh Pearce
  • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  • California State University Fullerton
  • University of Southern California
  • Duke University
  • Harvard University
  • University of Utah
  • Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
  • University of British Columbia
  • Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
  • University of Pittsburgh
  • Emory University
  • University of Southern Maine
  • University of Queensland
  • Queensland Institute of Medical Research
  • Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Combined oral contraceptive use is associated with a decreased risk of invasive epithelial ovarian cancer (ovarian cancer). There is suggestive evidence of an inverse association between progestin-only contraceptive use and ovarian cancer risk, but previous studies have been underpowered. Methods: The current study used primary data from 7,977 women with ovarian cancer and 11,820 control women in seven case–control studies from the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium to evaluate the association between use of depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), an injectable progestin-only contraceptive, and ovarian cancer risk. Logistic models were fit to determine the association between ever use of DMPA and ovarian cancer risk overall and by histotype. A systematic review of the association between DMPA use and ovarian cancer risk was conducted. Results: Ever use of DMPA was associated with a 35% decreased risk of ovarian cancer overall (OR, 0.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.50–0.85). There was a statistically significant trend of decreasing risk with increasing duration of use (Ptrend < 0.001). The systematic review yielded six studies, four of which showed an inverse association and two showed increased risk. Conclusions: DMPA use appears to be associated with a decreased risk of ovarian cancer in a duration-dependent manner based on the preponderance of evidence. Further study of the mechanism through which DMPA use is associated with ovarian cancer is warranted. Impact: The results of this study are of particular interest given the rise in popularity of progestin-releasing intrauterine devices that have a substantially lower progestin dose than that in DMPA, but may have a stronger local effect.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)927-935
Number of pages9
JournalCancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention
Volume30
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1 2021

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