Studies Examine Ovarian Cancer, Uterine Fibroids, Cardiovascular Disease

Main Category: Ovarian Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology;  Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Article Date: 20 Mar 2007 - 15:00 PST

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The following highlights recently released journal articles on women's health issues.

• "Association of Estrogen and Progestin Potency of Oral Contraceptives With Ovarian Carcinoma Risk," Obstetrics & Gynecology: Galina Lurie of the University of Hawaii and colleagues conducted a population-based study involving 745 women living in Hawaii and Los Angeles who had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Reuters Health reports. The researchers also studied a comparison group of 943 women without cancer who had been matched by age and ethnicity to the 745 women to determine how levels of estrogen and progestin in oral contraceptive pills affect ovarian cancer risk. The researchers collected health information about the participants using standard questionnaires and interviewed participants using photo albums to identify the specific oral contraceptive pills participants had used. The study found that ovarian cancer risk decreased by 81% for women who took pills with low levels of estrogen and progestin, compared with 38% for women who took pills with high levels of the hormones. In addition, the study found that ovarian cancer risk decreased by 50% for women who took any type of oral contraceptive pill. "Up to 42% of ovarian cancers might have been avoided if all women used some form of combined oral contraceptive pills," Lurie said, adding, "An estimated 73% of ovarian cancers might have been avoided if all women used oral contraceptive pill formulation of low estrogen and low progestin" (Gale, Reuters Health, 3/9).

  
  

• "Efficacy of Combined Laparoscopic Uterine Artery Occlusion and Myomectomy Via Minilaparotomy in the Treatment of Recurrent Uterine Myomas," Fertility and Sterility: Wei-Min Liu of Taipei Medical University and colleagues studied 82 women with uterine fibroids that had returned after surgical treatment to determine the best treatment for recurring fibroid tumors, Reuters Health reports. According to Reuters Health, all of the women had undergone surgery to treat fibroids between seven months and 10 years prior to the study. All study participants wanted to keep their uterus to preserve their ability to become pregnant. According to the study, 52 of the women underwent artery blockage and surgical removal of the fibroids using laparoscopic, or "keyhole" techniques, rather than invasive abdominal surgery. The remaining 30 women underwent laparoscopic surgery without artery blockage. The study found that after 43 months, the fibroid recurrence rate was 5.8% among the women who had surgery in combination with artery blockage, compared with 36.7% among the women who only had surgery, Reuters Health reports. The pregnancy rate following treatment was 19.2% among the women in the combined treatment group, compared with 22.4% among the women in the surgery-only group, a difference that is not statistically significant, according to the study (Kerr, Reuters Health, 3/8).

  
  

• "Long-Term Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in 10-Year Survivors of Breast Cancer," Journal of the National Cancer Institute: Maartje Hooning of the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam and colleagues studied 4,414 women who had been treated for breast cancer with radiation between 1970 and 1986 to determine whether the women had an increased risk of developing heart disease, Reuters reports. About one-third of the women were followed for 20 years. The study found a 40% increased risk of heart disease among women treated up to 1980 and a 35% increased risk among women treated after 1980. In addition, the study found that women who smoked and received radiation therapy had triple the risk of heart attack than women who did not smoke. The researchers said that the study's findings indicate that women should be strongly advised to stop smoking when beginning radiation treatment. The study also found that women whose breast cancer was treated only with surgery and not with chemotherapy or radiation had a lower risk of heart attack than women in the general population, which researchers said might indicate that women adopt a healthier lifestyle following breast cancer diagnoses (Reuters, 3/7).

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