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SAN DIEGO—The use of hormone therapy may lower the risk of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in menopausal women, according to a presentation at the AACR Annual Meeting 2014.
Researchers found that menopausal women who used hormone therapy were about 30% less likely than their untreated peers to develop NHL.
And the risk of NHL decreased further if a woman began receiving hormone therapy at a younger age and used it for a longer period of time.
Sophia Wang, PhD, of City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California, presented these findings at the meeting as abstract 2918.
“The connection between lymphomas and menopausal hormone therapy use hinges on understanding the disease’s biology and the window of susceptibility,” Dr Wang said. “Hormone therapy is of interest because the loss of estrogen coupled with aging in women result in decreased immune function, which can elevate the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.”
For this study, Dr Wang and her colleagues examined data from the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program. They compared 685 postmenopausal women diagnosed with B-cell NHL to 685 postmenopausal women without lymphoma.
The researchers assessed the women’s use of menopausal hormone therapy, which included estrogen alone or estrogen with progestin in pill, patch, topical cream, or injected forms.
After controlling for factors such as age, race, and socioeconomic status, Dr Wang and her colleagues found that women who reported using any form of menopausal hormone therapy were approximately 30% less likely to be diagnosed with B-cell NHL, compared to women who reported never using hormone therapy.
An additional analysis showed that the risk reduction was even greater for women who initiated menopausal hormone therapy at 45 years of age or younger and used it for at least 5 years.
This group was approximately 40% less likely to be diagnosed with B-cell NHL compared to those who had never used hormone therapy.
Dr Wang said further research is needed to determine the exact biological mechanisms that might be linked to a lower NHL risk. These mechanisms could include supporting a healthy immune system or reducing inflammation.
She also cautioned that these findings are preliminary and should not change current recommendations and guidelines for menopausal hormone therapy use.
Due to well-established evidence tying menopausal hormone therapy to elevated risks of breast and endometrial cancers, the American Cancer Society recommends that women considering or using this therapy do so at the lowest effective dose for the shortest amount of time needed and that they discuss with their physicians other treatments to alleviate menopausal symptoms. 
SAN DIEGO—The use of hormone therapy may lower the risk of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in menopausal women, according to a presentation at the AACR Annual Meeting 2014.
Researchers found that menopausal women who used hormone therapy were about 30% less likely than their untreated peers to develop NHL.
And the risk of NHL decreased further if a woman began receiving hormone therapy at a younger age and used it for a longer period of time.
Sophia Wang, PhD, of City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California, presented these findings at the meeting as abstract 2918.
“The connection between lymphomas and menopausal hormone therapy use hinges on understanding the disease’s biology and the window of susceptibility,” Dr Wang said. “Hormone therapy is of interest because the loss of estrogen coupled with aging in women result in decreased immune function, which can elevate the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.”
For this study, Dr Wang and her colleagues examined data from the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program. They compared 685 postmenopausal women diagnosed with B-cell NHL to 685 postmenopausal women without lymphoma.
The researchers assessed the women’s use of menopausal hormone therapy, which included estrogen alone or estrogen with progestin in pill, patch, topical cream, or injected forms.
After controlling for factors such as age, race, and socioeconomic status, Dr Wang and her colleagues found that women who reported using any form of menopausal hormone therapy were approximately 30% less likely to be diagnosed with B-cell NHL, compared to women who reported never using hormone therapy.
An additional analysis showed that the risk reduction was even greater for women who initiated menopausal hormone therapy at 45 years of age or younger and used it for at least 5 years.
This group was approximately 40% less likely to be diagnosed with B-cell NHL compared to those who had never used hormone therapy.
Dr Wang said further research is needed to determine the exact biological mechanisms that might be linked to a lower NHL risk. These mechanisms could include supporting a healthy immune system or reducing inflammation.
She also cautioned that these findings are preliminary and should not change current recommendations and guidelines for menopausal hormone therapy use.
Due to well-established evidence tying menopausal hormone therapy to elevated risks of breast and endometrial cancers, the American Cancer Society recommends that women considering or using this therapy do so at the lowest effective dose for the shortest amount of time needed and that they discuss with their physicians other treatments to alleviate menopausal symptoms.
SAN DIEGO—The use of hormone therapy may lower the risk of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in menopausal women, according to a presentation at the AACR Annual Meeting 2014.
Researchers found that menopausal women who used hormone therapy were about 30% less likely than their untreated peers to develop NHL.
And the risk of NHL decreased further if a woman began receiving hormone therapy at a younger age and used it for a longer period of time.
Sophia Wang, PhD, of City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California, presented these findings at the meeting as abstract 2918.
“The connection between lymphomas and menopausal hormone therapy use hinges on understanding the disease’s biology and the window of susceptibility,” Dr Wang said. “Hormone therapy is of interest because the loss of estrogen coupled with aging in women result in decreased immune function, which can elevate the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.”
For this study, Dr Wang and her colleagues examined data from the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program. They compared 685 postmenopausal women diagnosed with B-cell NHL to 685 postmenopausal women without lymphoma.
The researchers assessed the women’s use of menopausal hormone therapy, which included estrogen alone or estrogen with progestin in pill, patch, topical cream, or injected forms.
After controlling for factors such as age, race, and socioeconomic status, Dr Wang and her colleagues found that women who reported using any form of menopausal hormone therapy were approximately 30% less likely to be diagnosed with B-cell NHL, compared to women who reported never using hormone therapy.
An additional analysis showed that the risk reduction was even greater for women who initiated menopausal hormone therapy at 45 years of age or younger and used it for at least 5 years.
This group was approximately 40% less likely to be diagnosed with B-cell NHL compared to those who had never used hormone therapy.
Dr Wang said further research is needed to determine the exact biological mechanisms that might be linked to a lower NHL risk. These mechanisms could include supporting a healthy immune system or reducing inflammation.
She also cautioned that these findings are preliminary and should not change current recommendations and guidelines for menopausal hormone therapy use.
Due to well-established evidence tying menopausal hormone therapy to elevated risks of breast and endometrial cancers, the American Cancer Society recommends that women considering or using this therapy do so at the lowest effective dose for the shortest amount of time needed and that they discuss with their physicians other treatments to alleviate menopausal symptoms.