Investigating THE Relationship BETWEEN Exogenous Hormone Therapies and Meningioma Incidence among Women

Introduction: Meningiomas occur twice as often in women as in men, indicating that sex hormones may significantly influence their growth and development. Long-term estrogen or progesterone hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and oral contraceptive use may be a risk factor for their development. However, the literature has not reached a consensus on this association.

Objective: This study aims to elucidate the relationship between exogenous hormone therapy and meningioma incidence among women.

Materials and Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature review articles published from 2000 to July 2024 was conducted, followed by a literature impact analysis. The inclusion criteria focused on original research discussing exogenous hormone therapy use among women, excluding non-human research and other non-relevant publications.

Results: A total of 32 papers met the inclusion criteria and 11 (34%) were authored by principal authors affiliated with US institutions. The three most represented countries outside the US were China (3), Denmark (3), and France (6). The median number of citations was 21.5 and the median RCR was 1.52. Primary use cases for exogenous hormone therapy were contraception, postmenopausal replacement, and hypofertility with other cases including dysmenorrhea and polycystic ovary syndrome. Hormones used by patients included estrogen, progestin, combinations, estradiol, and cyproterone acetate. Cumulative odds ratios indicated no significant association between any exogenous hormone intake and meningioma risk except for a slight protective effect. Notably though, meningiomas in women taking exogenous hormones were seen to be located primarily in the sphenoorbital region with a resulting increased prevalence of visual symptoms.

Conclusion: Exogenous hormone therapies may not increase the risk of meningioma in females. However, clinical implications of such therapies may present for women with ailments relating to irregular hormonal function such as endometriosis and hypo-fertility. Further clinical studies should be conducted to validate the conclusions of this study.

 

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No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).

Publication History

Article published online:
07 February 2025