J Korean Med Assoc.  2019 Mar;62(3):160-166. 10.5124/jkma.2019.62.3.160.

Menopausal hormone therapy in the cancer survivors

• Ahn HJ
• Hwang KR

• KMID: 2441067
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2019.62.3.160

Abstract

Due to advances in the treatment and diagnosis of cancer, many women survive long after treatment, and therefore express concerns about the impact of estrogen deficiency on their quality of life. Cancer treatment can induce menopause through surgical removal of the ovaries, chemotherapy, or radiation. Women who undergo induced menopause usually experience more sudden and severe menopausal symptoms, including vasomotor symptoms, psychological symptoms, genitourinary symptoms, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is especially important in women younger than 40. In this review, we consider the role of MHT after the diagnosis of breast, gynecologic, colorectal, stomach, liver, lung, and hematologic cancers. MHT is advantageous in endometrial cancer type I, cervical squamous cell carcinoma, colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and hematologic malignancies. However, MHT is not recommended for use in breast cancer, endometrial stromal sarcoma, hormone receptor-positive gastric cancer, and lung cancer survivors because it is linked to an increased risk of cancer recurrence. Depending on the type of cancer, clinicians should recommend that cancer survivors receive appropriate MHT in order to reduce vasomotor symptoms and to benefit from its positive effects on the cardiovascular and skeletal systems.

Keyword

Menopause; Hormone therapy; Neoplasms; Survivors

MeSH Terms

Breast
Breast Neoplasms
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Cardiovascular Diseases
Colorectal Neoplasms
Diagnosis
Drug Therapy
Endometrial Neoplasms
Estrogens
Female
Hematologic Neoplasms
Humans
Liver
Lung
Lung Neoplasms
Menopause
Osteoporosis
Ovary
Quality of Life
Recurrence
Sarcoma, Endometrial Stromal
Stomach
Stomach Neoplasms
Survivors*
Estrogens

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