Prescription of hormone replacement therapy among cervical cancer patients with treatment-induced premature menopause

Abstract

Objective: To examine the utilization of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) among newly diagnosed cervical cancer patients who experienced premature menopause due to primary treatment.

Methods: The MarketScan Databases were used to identify newly diagnosed cervical cancer patients <50 years of age with premature menopause after hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (primary surgery) or primary external beam pelvic radiation (primary radiotherapy). We examined the cumulative utilization of HRT until 24 months after the loss of ovarian function. Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard models were developed to examine the factors associated with cumulative HRT use. The duration of HRT use was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier curves.

Results: A total of 1826 patients, including 352 (19.3%) who underwent primary surgery and 1474 (80.7%) who received primary radiotherapy, were identified. Overall, 39.0% of patients received HRT within 24 months of primary treatment. HRT was used in 49.4% of those who underwent primary surgery and in 36.6% of those who received primary radiotherapy (p<0.0001). The median duration of HRT use was 60 days among the entire cohort and was significantly shorter for the primary radiotherapy group than the primary surgery group (35 vs 90 days, p<0.0001). Primary radiotherapy, older age, residency in the Northeastern USA, and Black race were associated with a lower likelihood of HRT use.

Conclusions: HRT was prescribed to less than half of patients with newly diagnosed cervical cancer under the age of 50 who experienced premature menopause due to primary treatment. Among those who used HRT the duration of use was short.

Keywords: cervical cancer; hysterectomy; palliative care; radiation.