TOPLINE:

Researchers evaluated estrogen therapy prescribing patterns among gynecologists and gynecologic oncologists for patients with gynecologic cancer and found that oncology providers more likely to prescribe it for those with endometrial cancer and epithelial ovarian cancer. Male providers and those with at least 10 years of practice showed higher likelihood of prescribing estrogen therapy to patients with endometrial cancer.

METHODOLOGY:

• A web-based survey was administered through email or postcard mailer to members of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in 2024.
• Participants provided demographic information including sex identity, age group, years in practice, workplace setting, job title, and region of practice.
• Analysis included 293 respondents who answered questions about at least one type of cancer, with response rates of 63.82% (187/293) for endometrial cancer, 65.19% (176/270) for epithelial ovarian cancer, and 96.8% (274/283) for cervical cancer.

TAKEAWAY:

• Gynecologic oncology providers were more likely than obstetrician-gynecologists to prescribe estrogen therapy for patients with endometrial cancer (P = .0006) and epithelial ovarian cancer (P = .0009).
• Male providers (P = .019) and those in practice for ≥ 10 years (P = .022) showed higher likelihood of prescribing estrogen therapy to patients with endometrial cancer.
• Gynecologic oncology attendings demonstrated the highest comfort level with prescribing estrogen therapy (78%; 95% CI, 71.0-85.9), whereas obstetrician-gynecologist attendings showed the lowest (51%; 95% CI, 39.5-61.8).
• Among 270 respondents addressing patients with epithelial ovarian cancer, 65.19% reported feeling comfortable prescribing estrogen therapy.

IN PRACTICE:

“Many gynecologists, and some gynecologic oncologists, are uncomfortable prescribing hormone therapy to patients with a history of endometrial or epithelial ovarian cancer, despite evidence suggesting its safety. This indicates a need for clinician education to ensure patients are counseled appropriately about options for treating menopausal symptoms,” the authors of the study wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Jamie L. McDowell, DO, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Wilmot Cancer Center, University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York. It was published online in Menopause.

LIMITATIONS:

Additional mailers could not be sent to American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists members due to prohibitive postage costs, potentially limiting the response rate from this group.

DISCLOSURES:

This study received support from the Mae Stone Goode Foundation, New York (grant number 7073 2024). Richard G. Moore, MD, disclosed serving as a consultant for Fujirebio Diagnostics in Tokyo, Japan. Sarah J. Betstadt, MD, reported being a Nexplanon clinical trainer for Organon. The remaining authors reported having no relevant conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.