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 well-recognized benefits of hormone replacement therapy include relief of vasomotor symptoms, alleviation of psychogenic manifestations, prevention of atrophic vaginitis, prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, and prevention of cardiovascular disease. Risks can be minimized by proper evaluation and appropriate hormone replacement. When an adequate dosage of estrogen is given, the added progestogen does not adversely affect lipid levels. When progestogens are added to estrogen replacement therapy, the incidence of endometrial cancer is lower in postmenopausal women receiving this form of therapy than in untreated postmenopausal women. Although the risk of breast cancer is a matter of controversy, it does not seem to increase with estrogen therapy; the addition of progestogen may decrease the risk for some women. The prognosis for breast cancer is improved in women receiving hormone replacement therapy.
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PMID:Update on hormone replacement therapy. 144 75

Symptoms due to estrogen deficiency begin in the perimenopausal years and progress as serum levels of this hormone decrease Vasomotor instability, manifested by hot flushes or night sweats, may persist for several months to a few years. Psychologic symptoms include anxiety, tension, depression, insomnia, palpitations, and headaches. Atrophy of the genital epithelium may result in senile vaginitis with symptoms of irritation, burning, pruritus, dyspareunia, and even vaginal bleeding. Even the lower urinary tract mucosa is dependent upon estrogen. Postmenopausal osteoporosis affects 25 to 50% of older women and increases the risk for vertebral, hip, and other fractures. Estrogen therapy for menopausal complaints has received adverse publicity because several reports have indicated that unopposed estrogens increase the risk of endometrial cancer. Added progestogen not only negates this risk but reduces the incidence of endometrial adenocarcinoma in estrogen-progestogen users to less than that observed in untreated women. Estrogen replacement therapy does not increase the risk of breast cancer; the incidence of this malignancy, however, was also less in the estrogen-progestogen users when compared with either the untreated women or from that expected from the national cancer surveys. In evaluating postmenopausal women for hormone replacement, the benefits of estrogen-progestogen therapy must be weighed against possible risks.
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PMID:The menopause. 351 23

Unopposed estrogens, both exogenous and endogenous, increase the risk of endometrial cancer although the magnitude of the association between estrogen replacement therapy and adenocarcinoma has been exaggerated by the epidemiologic case-control studies. Not all postmenopausal women need estrogen replacement therapy since some produce sufficient endogenous estrogens to remain asymptomatic and prevent atrophic vaginitis, osteoporosis and atherosclerosis. However, within this group may be those at risk for endometrial cancer, so they need to be identified and treated with cyclic progestogens. Sequential oral contraceptives did not protect young women from adenocarcinoma of the endometrium because of too little progestogen for too short a duration in view of the relatively high dosage of estrogen. However, combination birth control pills significantly decrease the risk for endometrial carcinoma. Endometrial hyperplasia is a precancerous lesion in some women and can be effectively reversed with 10-13 days of progestogen monthly in at least 98% of patients. The progestogen challenge test has been devised to identify postmenopausal women at greatest risk for adenocarcinoma. It should be administered to all postmenopausal women with an intact uterus. This includes asymptomatic women, patients receiving estrogen replacement therapy and women being evaluated for hormone therapy. If there is a positive response to the progestogen challenge, as manifested by withdrawal bleeding, then the progestogen should be continued for 13 days each month for as long as withdrawal bleeding results. If there is no response then the progestogen challenge test should be repeated at each annual examination. Universal use of the progestogen challenge test should prevent nearly all endometrial cancers.
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PMID:The role of hormones in the etiology and prevention of endometrial cancer. 379 26

After reviewing the pathophysiology of the menopause, attention is directed to a review of the benefits of estrogen progestogen replacement therapy (vasomotor symptoms, urogenital atrophy, psychosomatic complaints, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, lipid metabolism); the risks of estrogen progestogen replacement therapy (endometrial cancer, endometrial hyperlasia, breast cancer, coagulation factors, gallbladder disease); and evaluation for estrogen therapy (nonoral estrogen administration). This author regards the menopause to be a hormonal deficiency state, and, like all endocrinopathies, should be managed as vigorously as need be, and without a necessary limitation of time. A wide variety of physical changes and symptoms have been associated with the climacteric. Some patients may only experience cessation of menses; others experience severe reactions that are occasionally disabling. Several factors may influence development of symptoms during the postmenopausal years, and the most important factor is probably the degree of estrogen depletion and the rate at which estrogen levels decrease. Additional factors may be an inherited or acquired propensity to withstand or succumb to the aging process and the psychologic impact of aging and the woman's ability to accept or deny the emotional changes of the menopause. The proven and almost universally accepted benefits of estrogen replacement therapy include relief of vasomotor symptoms, prevention of atrophic vaginitis, and prevention of osteoporosis. Estrogens may also help alleviate some of the psychogenic manifestations that menopause aggravates. Decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly in oophorectomized young women may be another benefit by estrogen increased HDL cholesterol. 10 days of cyclic progestogen reduces the risk of endometrial cancer by preventing or treating estrogen induced endometrial hyperplasia. The risk of breast cancer has not been shown to be increased with estrogen therapy, and progestogens may provide additional protection for this tumor. The prognosis for breast carcinoma developing in hormone users is improved, most likely because of an earlier detection. Estrogens prevent demineralization of bone, and the addition of progestogen apparently promotes new bone formation. An increased risk of gallbladder disease may be associated with estrogen therapy, but this risk is minimal and has not been observed in all studies. There is no evidence that either estrogens or progestogens, in the small doses needed for menopause, increase the risk of thromboembolic disease. Newer routes of estrogen administration may further reduce the risks and increase the benefits.
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PMID:The menopause: benefits and risks of estrogen-progestogen replacement therapy. 704 Jan 16

Focus in this discussion of the pharmacology of gynecology is on the following: vaginal infections; genital herpes; genital warts; pelvic inflammatory disease; urinary infections; pruritus vulvae; menstrual problems; infertility; oral contraception; and hormone replacement therapy. Doctors in England working in Local Authority Family Planning Clinics are debarred from prescribing, and any patient with a vaginal infection has to be referred either to a special clinic or to her general practitioner which is often preferable as her medical history will be known. Vaginal discharge is a frequent complaint, and it is necessary to obtain full details. 1 of the most common infections is vaginal candidosis. Nystatin pessaries have always been a useful 1st-line treatment and are specific for this type of infection. Trichomonas infection also occurs frequently and responds well to metronidazole in a 200 mg dosage, 3 times daily for 7 days. It is necessary to treat the consort at the same time. Venereal diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhea always require vigorous treatment. Patients are now presenting with herpes genitalis far more often. The only treatment which is currently available, and is as good as any, is the application of warm saline to the vaginal area. Genital warts may be discovered on routine gynecological examination or may be reported to the doctor by the patient. 1 application of a 20% solution of podophyllum, applied carefully to each wart, usually effects a cure. Pelvic inflammatory disease seems to be on the increase. Provided any serious disease is ruled out a course of systemic antibiotics is often effective. Urinary infections are often seen in the gynecologic clinic, and many of these will respond well to 2 tablets of co-trimoxazole, 2 times daily for 14 days. In pruritus vulvae it is important to determine whether the cause is general or local. Menstrual problems regularly occur and have been increased by the IUD and the low-dose progesterone pill. Infertility necessitates investigation. It is helpful to use the temperature chart method to determine whether the patient is ovulating. Oral contraception merits only passing mention, i.e., the introduction of a new sequential pill containing ethynloestradiol and levonorgestrol. There is always the question of a possible relationship between long-term OC use and the development of endometrial cancer. There are certain definite indications for hormone replacement therapy, i.e., hot flushes, sweating and atrophic vaginitis.
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PMID:The pharmacology of gynaecology. 744 23

Recent reports suggest that the administration of estrogens to postmenopausal women is associated with an increased risk of developing endometrial cancer. Although the evidence is indirect, it is consistent with the recent introduction into the population of a carcinogen whose primary effect is on the endometrium. Estrogens have often been prescribed for trivial reasons and have been taken for long periods. The median reported length of estrogen use has been 10 years. There is a latency period in the carcinogenic effect so a more frequent incidence of endometrial carcinoma may yet follow. In the meantime, use of estrogens for specific menopausal symptoms is justified. There is less concern in prescribing estrogens for hysterectomized patients. Most emotional problems are better handled by counseling or short-term use of sedatives or tranquilizers. Senile osteoporosis may be benefited by estrogen therapy. Following oophorectomy early in life estrogen treatment may retard onset of osteoporosis but cannot reverse the aging process. Cyclic administration of estrogen use is advised with the lowest effective dose. Vasomotor symptoms require temporary treatment but atrophic vaginitis needs longer therapy. Reevaluation of patients at 6-month intervals at first and then yearly is recommended. A Papanicolaou smear should include material from the endometrial canal. Abnormal bleeding requires investigation. The patient should be informed regarding risks and benefits of estrogen therapy.
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PMID:Estrogens and menopause. 1230 3

Most reports on histopathological findings of postmenopausal bleeding were published before hysteroscopy was widely used. Recent studies have shown that hysteroscopic examination is better than dilatation and curettage alone in detecting intrauterine pathology. The aim of this study is to assess histopathological findings of patients presented with postmenopausal bleeding after incorporation of hysteroscopic examination. Between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 1996, a total of 199 consecutive patients presenting with postmenopausal bleeding to a regional hospital were reviewed. Patients were investigated with cervical biopsy, endometrial aspiration or hysteroscopy and curettage. Excluding patients who had hysterectomy and cervical cancer, 97% of the patients had hysteroscopic examination. The majority of patients with postmenopausal bleeding had atrophic vaginitis and/or atrophic endometrium (58.8%). Other common diagnoses were endometrial polyp (9.4%), endometrial carcinoma (9.4%) and carcinoma of the cervix (6%). Other diagnoses included submucous fibroid, endometrial hyperplasia, pyometra, ovarian cancer and urethral caruncle. Pathologies found were similar to early reports, except that incidences of submucous fibroids and endometrial polyps were higher (13.4%). We concluded that all patients with postmenopausal bleeding should be investigated thoroughly as 22% have significant pathology. Hysteroscopy is the preferred investigation because of high incidences of endometrial polyps and submucous fibroids.
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PMID:Findings in women with postmenopausal bleeding investigated with hysteroscopy. 1252 35

Reduction of ovarian steroids at menopause leads to significant changes in the urogenital tract. These changes often worsen with time, particularly in nonsmokers, affecting up to 38% of menopausal women. Urogenital symptoms that clearly respond to estrogen therapy include atrophic vaginitis, dryness, and accompanying dyspareunia. Estrogen reduces urinary tract infections in women plagued by frequent recurrence. The sensation of urgency improves with estrogen but urge incontinence improvement is similar to that with placebo. Stress incontinence does not improve with estrogen. Until recently, vaginal therapy was reserved for local symptoms. Rings make systemic vaginal therapy acceptable and even preferred by some users. Vaginal delivery, like other parenteral therapies, bypasses the gastrointestinal tract, with less anticipated impact on lipids, globulins, clotting, and fibrinolytic factors. Evidence of a lowered risk of venous thromboembolism is reviewed. Options for estrogen therapy include native, synthetic, or biologically derived estrogens delivered by cream, gel, insert (pessary), ring, or tablet. Even the lowest dose estradiol (7.5 mug daily or 25 mug twice per week) shows evidence of systemic absorption. In long-term placebo-controlled studies, bone density was better preserved and lipid profiles were more favorable. Therefore, even these low dose therapies should be opposed by occasional progestogen to prevent endometrial carcinoma. Intermittent therapy is best given for a minimum of 12 days based on laboratory data. Less frequent dosing, although preferred by patients, likely confers a slightly increased risk of hyperplasia. No combination estrogen/progestogen vaginal product is currently available. The best dose to reduce risk of endometrial pathology adequately in the lower dose therapies will be defined not only by the dose and potency of the exogenous estrogen but by the individual is body habitus and lifestyle choices.
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PMID:Vaginal hormone therapy for urogenital and menopausal symptoms. 1585 98