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

The withdrawal from the market of the oral contraceptives Volidan 21 and Serial 28 was based on work in beagle dogs treated for 7 years with high doses of megestrol acetate. The treated animals developed significantly more tumors than untreated controls. Chlormadinone acetate was withdrawn from clinical use in 1970 on the basis of similar reports. All other progestogens in use in Britain had no effect on the incidence of tumors. The only neoplasm linked with oral contraceptives by clinical evidence is hepatic adenoma. In menopausal and postmenopausal patients estrogen therapy may increase the risk of endometrial uterine cancer. For most young women oral contraception is a compromise between safety and reliability. Serious thromboembolic complications increase with age, cigarette smoking, and hypertension. Patients should be screened for the presence of risk factors and the effects of treatment regularly assessed. In menopausal women, regular monitoring for endometrial cancer is advised. Medical supervision of hormone therapy is needed.
 ...
PMID:Editorial: Cancer risks from hormone treatment. 120 97

Reduced estrogen content has significantly decreased the risks of oral contraceptive (OC) use. However, the systemic effects of OCs, but it is unclear if this change is physiologically significant. Estrogen-mediated inhibition of cortisol levels may contribute to the impairment of glucose tolerance by OCs. Women at high risk for diabetes, older than 35, obese, with family history of diabetes, or who have had glucose intolerance during previous pregnancies should either not take OCs or take pregestin-only pills. OCs raise plasma triglyceride levels 30-50 mg per dl in users of all ages. High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is also affected, and cholesterol and triglyceride levelshould be measured before and during OC use. The risk of hepatic adenoma rises with duration of OC use; however, most adenomas diagnosed before hemorrhage have regressed with discontinuation of the contraceptive regimen. The most significant adverse effects of OC use involve the arterial and venous vascular systems. OCs appear to raise the blood pressure in nearly all women. Change in systolic pressure is consistently greater than in diastolic, suggestingthat the primary hypertensive effect of OCs is on blood volume and cardiac output. Accumulated data indicate that if OCs are not used by women older than 35 or by women who smoke or who are hypertensive, then risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage or other cerebrovascular complication is very small. The relative risk of myocardial infarction in OC users has been from 0-6 times greater than in nonusers; this may depend on other confounding risk factors. Reduction in estrogen content of OCs decreases risk accordingly. The preponderance of evidence indicates that prolonged use of OCs does not increase risk of breast disease or ovarian and endometrial cancer, and, in fact, may protect users from malignant lesions by suppressing gonadotropins and ovulation.
 ...
PMID:Systemic effects of oral contraceptives. 608 41

The use of oral contraceptives (OC) by an estimated 150 million women worldwide has prompted concern about their potential risks. But, there are also health conditions--medical and surgical disorders, reproductive tract cancers, and menstruation disorders--that oral contraceptives affect beneficially. OC users have a lower risk of iron deficiency anemia, an important consideration for nutritionally deficient women. The risk of developing pelvic inflammatory disease is also decreased in OC users, as is the risk of ectopic pregnancy. This is important for women in developing countries, where access to medical services for a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy might be limited. Using OCs lowers the incidence of surgery for benign breast disease, the incidence of retention cysts of the ovary, the risk of endometrial cancer, the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer, and relieves symptoms of dysmenorrhea and premenstrual syndrome. The risks associated with OC use, including stroke and heart attack, vary among age groups, smoking status, and other cardiovascular risk factors. For example, elevated serum cholesterol is lower among women in developing countries, so the associated risk of heart attack is lower for these women. Other complications associated with OC use are deep-vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, gallbladder disease, and hepatic adenoma. There is controversy about whether OC use increases the risk of cervical neoplasia. Studies that have attempted to define this risk are subject to methodological problems, in that increased surveillance of OC users results in a higher rate of detection. Some controversy exists about OC use and an increased risk of breast cancer, but no definitive results are available. Although the risks associated with OC use can be serious, these risks are only slightly higher among OC users compared with non-users. The benefits, such as reduced risk of serious diseases and gynecological disorders, seem to outweigh the risks, pointing to the need for accurate communication between health professionals and the women they advise about contraceptive choices.
 ...
PMID:Beyond contraception: the health benefits and risks of the pill. 1231 33