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Review
. 2024 Mar 1;13(5):1443.
doi: 10.3390/jcm13051443.

Hormone Replacement Therapy in Post-Menopause Hormone-Dependent Gynecological Cancer Patients: A Narrative Review

Paola Villa  1 , Valentina Elisabetta Bounous  2 , Inbal Dona Amar  1 , Federica Bernardini  1 , Margherita Giorgi  2 , Daniela Attianese  2 , Annamaria Ferrero  2 , Marika D'Oria  3 , Giovanni Scambia  1
Affiliations
Review

Hormone Replacement Therapy in Post-Menopause Hormone-Dependent Gynecological Cancer Patients: A Narrative Review

Paola Villa et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Background: Advances in the treatment of gynecological cancer have led to improvements in survival but also an increase in menopausal symptoms, especially in young women with premature iatrogenic menopause.

Methods: A narrative review was performed to clarify the possibility of prescribing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after hormone-dependent gynecological cancers (ovarian cancer [OC], cervical adenocarcinoma [AC], and endometrial cancer [EC]).

Results: HRT can be prescribed to patients with early-stage, grade I-II OC who experience bothersome menopausal symptoms non-responsive to alternative non-hormone therapy after optimal surgery. Caution should be exercised in administering HRT after serous borderline tumors and endometrioid OC, and HRT is not recommended in low-grade serous OC. HRT is not contraindicated in AC survivors. After surgery for EC, HRT can be prescribed in women with early-stage low-grade EC. There is not enough data to give indications to patients with advanced EC.

Conclusions: HRT can be discussed with patients, evaluating the risks and benefits of hormone-dependent gynecological cancer. Counseling should be performed by gynecologic oncologists experienced in the management of these patients.

Keywords: cervical adenocarcinoma; endometrial cancer; hormone replacement therapy; menopause; ovarian cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Clinical suggestions for a short course of HRT for women who experience troublesome menopausal symptoms that cannot be relieved by alternative non-hormone therapy after hormone-dependent gynecological cancer. LGSOC: low-grade serous ovarian carcinomas; HGSOC: high-grade serous carcinoma; CCC: clear cell carcinoma.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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