Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0476089 (endometrial cancer)
 11,379 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The most important short-term uses of estrogen are in the control of vasomotor disturbances, often called hot flashes, and in the therapy of athrophic vaginitis. Dosage should be as low as possible and on a cyclic basis. Estrogens can be employed cyclically but for an unpredictable term in the case of hypogonadism, female castration, and especially in the treatment of osteoporosis. The synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) is used as a contraceptive after coitus, in a large dose and within 72 hours, since it inhibits implantation of the fertilized ovum in the uterus. The use of estrogens in controlling some of the emotional conditions prior to menopause is not advisable, but they can be helpful in controlling acne and to arrest uterine bleeding. Conversely, estrogens have been shown to be associated with vaginal adenosis, and with clear cell carcinoma in girls whose mothers had been given DES during pregnancy; also with endometrial carcinoma in postmenopausal women who had taken the drug for years. The association between estrogens and breast cancer is still not clear, since the drug produces different results in different patients. Since estrogens increase blood coagulability their use is associated with an increased risk of thromboembolism and cardiovascular accidents. In prescribing estrogens physicians must evaluate each patient carefully, and require regular visits at six month intervals.
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PMID:Estrogens: their function, uses and hazards. Part 2. 62 3

Progestins in oral contraceptives (OCs) produce potential complications, as well as noncontraceptive benefits, according to Robert A. Hatcher, MD, MPH, professor of gynecology and obstetrics, Emory University Medical School. Hatcher told CTU that lowering the progestin content in an OC may decrease complications, but could also decrease the benefits experienced by women. "The extent to which that will happen remains to be seen," he said. Hatcher cited the following potential complications of progestins in OC: hypertension; decreased levels of high density lipoproteins; acne; oily skin; headaches between pill cycles; dilated leg veins; pelvic congestion syndrome; thrombosis of superficial leg veins; gallstones; Monilia vaginitis; cholestatic jaundice; and depression, fatigue, and decreased libido. Progestins, according to Hatcher, also produce these noncontraceptive benefits: protection against PID; decreased dysmenorrhea; decreased menstrual blood loss, decreased iron deficiency anemia; protection against endometrial cancer; protection against fibrocystic breast disease, and fibroadenomas of the breast; decreased bleeding from fibroids; decreased growth of fibroids. When ovulation is suppressed, Hatcher emphasized, additional benefits that may occur include the following: decreased risk of functional ovarian cysts; elimination of mittleschmerz pain; decreased rick of ovarian cancer; protection against endometriosis.
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PMID:Potential risks, benefits of progestins in birth control pills outlined. 1231 83

Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA, Depo-Provera) is used for contraception by 8-9 million women in more than 90 countries, including the US, as of January 1993. Pharmacologically active levels of DMPA persist for 3-4 months following injection. A 150 mg dose is used most often for high contraceptive efficacy every 3 months. Norethindrone enanthate (NET-EN, Noristerat) is somewhat less widely used and is not marketed in the US. Injectables act primarily by inhibiting ovulation, lowering the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone. Approximately 50% of women using DMPA for 1 year report amenorrhea whose occurrence is less frequent with NET-EN. Menstrual changes are the most frequent causes of discontinuation of injectables. In cases of heavy bleeding it is appropriate to undergo gynecological examination to rule out unrelated conditions, such as vaginitis, cervicitis, or cervical lesions. The use of conjugated estrogen (12.5-2.5 mg daily) for 10-21 days will minimize bleeding. Some women using injectables experience headache, dizziness, bloating of the abdomen or breast, and mood changes. Long-term use of DMPA or NET-EN can often result in 1-3 kg weight gain. The WHO Collaborative Study of Neoplasia and Steroid Contraceptives was launched in 1979 to examine cancer risks with the use of DMPA in Thailand, Mexico, and Kenya. The relative risk of breast cancer was 1.21, which was statistically not significant. In women diagnosed with breast cancer under age 35, short-term exposure to DMPA was associated with a slightly increased breast cancer risk, which, however, was not associated with duration of use. DMPA dramatically lowers the risk of endometrial cancer for at least eight years following discontinuation of its use. DMPA did not alter the risk of cervical cancer. Fertility returns in 70% of former users within 12 months; it is suitable for postpartum and lactating women, and provides other noncontraceptive benefits.
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PMID:Injectable contraception: the USA perspective. 1234 20