Risk of endometrial, ovarian, and breast cancers in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mina Amiri, Bidhendi-Yarandi R, Fallahzadeh A, Marzban Z, Ramezani Tehrani F
International journal of reproductive biomedicine · 2022 · doi:10.18502/ijrm.v20i11.12357 · PMID:36618838 · PMC9806243
Systematic review / meta-analysis OA: gold CC-BY-4.0
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This meta-analysis of 14 studies found that women with polycystic ovary syndrome have significantly increased risks of endometrial and ovarian cancers compared to controls, while breast cancer risk was not significantly elevated.

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This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the association between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and the risk of endometrial, ovarian, and breast cancers by pooling data from 14 observational studies. The analysis included nearly 130,000 women and found that PCOS was significantly associated with a higher risk of both endometrial cancer, with a pooled odds ratio of 2.2, and ovarian cancer, with an odds ratio of 1.3. In contrast, the study did not find a statistically significant increase in breast cancer risk among women with PCOS compared to controls, although publication bias was adjusted for using the trim and fill method. Relevance to endometriosis: listed as one indication for GnRH antagonists, though the paper's main focus is uterine fibroids.

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Abstract

BackgroundAlthough several studies have evaluated the risk of gynecological cancers in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), there are controversies regarding it.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the association of PCOS with endometrial, ovarian, and breast cancers.Materials and methodsPubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases based on MESH terms using the combination of the appropriate keywords were searched to retrieve observational studies on endometrial, ovarian, and breast cancers in PCOS women, published from inception to April 2020. This meta-analysis was performed to determine the pooled odds ratio (OR) of these cancers in women with PCOS. Publication bias was assessed by using Begg's test.ResultsOf 1347 records retrieved by searching the databases, a total of 14 articles were included in the study. Overall, the pooled OR of the composite outcome, including endometrial, ovarian, and breast cancers in women with PCOS was higher than that of women with no PCOS (pooled OR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.0-1.9). The pooled OR of endometrial (pooled OR: 2.2, 95% CI: 1.03-4.7) and ovarian (pooled OR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.0-1.8) cancers in women with PCOS was higher than the control group, whereas the pooled OR of breast cancer was not significantly higher than that of the control group.ConclusionThis meta-analysis indicated an increased risk of endometrial and ovarian cancers in women with PCOS.
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This study indicated the increased risk of endometrial and ovarian cancers in women with PCOS. Therefore, screening programs for early detection of these cancers, especially in women with PCOS, can be considered an important strategy for improving their survival.

Coi Statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

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