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. 2024 Dec;56(1):2370568.
doi: 10.1080/07853890.2024.2370568. Epub 2024 Jun 26.

Perception about benefits and risks related to combined hormonal contraceptives use in women with Lynch syndrome

Fabio Barra  1   2 , Umberto Perrone  1   3 , Simone Ferrero  3   4 , Stefano Bogliolo  1 , Silvia Ottonello  1 , Claudio Gustavino  5 , Angela Iasci  1 , Giovanni Grandi  6 , Alessandra Pulliero  2 , Maria Grazia Centurioni  5 , Alberto Izzotti  7   8
Affiliations

Perception about benefits and risks related to combined hormonal contraceptives use in women with Lynch syndrome

Fabio Barra et al. Ann Med. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Objective: Lynch syndrome (LS) is a hereditary condition associated with an increased risk of colorectal and endometrial cancer. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of women with LS regarding combined hormonal contraceptive (CHC) use compared to a control group of healthy women.

Methods: Pre-menopausal women with LS (n = 43) and an age-matched control group of healthy women (n = 128) participated in this prospective, cross-sectional study (NCT05909410). Participants completed an electronic questionnaire evaluating perceptions of CHC use and its impact on various cancers, medical conditions, and symptoms. Statistical analysis compared responses between the two groups, with reported p-values.

Results: Women with LS were less likely to use CHCs compared to the control group (p = 0.03) and had a more negative perception of CHCs' impact on colorectal cancer (p = 0.023) and endometrial cancer (p = 0.028). Limited knowledge was observed in both groups regarding the protective effects of CHCs against colorectal and ovarian cancer. Perceptions of CHC use and its impact on symptoms and chronic diseases did not significantly differ between the groups (p > 0.05). CHC use was not associated with greater awareness of the protective effect against colorectal (p = 0.89) and endometrial cancer (p = 0.47), but it was associated with a desire for contraception (OR 21.25; 95% CI 1.16 to 388.21; p = 0.039).

Conclusion: This study highlights contrasting perceptions of CHCs and their implications in oncology between women with LS and healthy women. Tailored counselling and support strategies are crucial for empowering women with LS to make informed decisions about their gynaecologic health.

Keywords: Lynch syndrome; breast cancer; colorectal cancer; combined hormonal contraceptive; contraception; dysmenorrhea; endometrial cancer; hormones; ovarian cancer.

Plain language summary

This study illuminates divergent perceptions of combined hormonal contraceptives and their oncological implications between women with Lynch syndrome and healthy women.Tailored counseling and supportive strategies are essential for empowering women with Lynch syndrome to make informed decisions regarding their gynecologic health.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Perception of women with Lynch syndrome (orange) and healthy women (blue) regarding the association between combined hormonal contraceptives and cancers, assessed using a Likert scale ranging from −5 to +5. For a specific cancer, a score of −5 indicates the strongest perception of reduced risk, while a score of 0 indicates a neutral perception of neither reduced nor increased risk, and a score of +5 indicates the strongest perception of increased risk.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Perception of women with Lynch syndrome (orange) and healthy women (blue) regarding the association between combined hormonal contraceptives and medical diseases, assessed using a Likert scale ranging from −5 to +5. For a specific medical disease, a score of −5 indicates the strongest perception of reduced risk, while a score of 0 indicates a neutral perception of neither reduced nor increased risk, and a score of +5 indicates the strongest perception of increased risk.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Perception of women with Lynch syndrome (orange) and healthy women (blue) regarding the relationship between combined hormonal contraceptives and symptoms, evaluated using a Likert scale ranging from −5 to +5. For a specific symptom, a score of −5 indicates the strongest perception of improvement, while a score of 0 indicates a neutral perception of neither improvement nor worsening, and a score of +5 indicates the strongest perception of worsening.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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