Barriers to prescription of hormonal contraception and hormone replacement therapy in gynecological cancer survivors: Results of a survey and literature review.

BACKGROUND

The incidence of gynecological cancers in premenopausal women is increasing, highlighting issues related to Hormonal Contraception (HC) and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). However, the presence of hormonal receptors in many gynecological cancers complicates HC and HRT prescriptions.

OBJECTIVE

To identify barriers experienced by gynecologists in prescribing HC and HRT to gynecological cancer survivors, with a secondary objective of conducting a literature review on the safety of these prescriptions.

METHODS

A nationwide survey was conducted among Portuguese gynecologists, including questions about their prescribing practices for HC and HRT in gynecological cancer survivors. For the narrative review, the authors searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and SCOPUS from January 2019 to April 2024. The included studies encompassed gynecological cancer survivors using HC or HRT, detailing tumor histologic type and clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

185 gynecologists participated in the questionnaire: 151 general gynecologists (81.6 %) and 34 oncology gynecologists (18.4 %). Of these, 49.7 % and 55.1 % had prescribed HC and HRT, respectively. Cervical cancer had the highest prescription rate, followed by vulvar and vaginal cancer, with fewer prescriptions for ovarian/fallopian tube, endometrial, and uterine corpus (non-endometrial) cancers. Older age and specialization in gynecologic oncology significantly predicted HC and HRT prescriptions (p < 0.05). Uncertainty was the main reason for not prescribing HC/HRT. A narrative review confirmed the safety of prescribing for specific tumor subtypes.

CONCLUSION

The survey findings highlight an occasionally unfounded apprehension regarding the use of HC and HRT among gynecological cancer survivors. This underscores the crucial need for enhanced education on these matters.