A RECENT study has found no significant overall association between hormone therapy (HT) use and the risk of glioma, the most common type of primary brain tumour in adults, among US women. The research, which analysed data from 75,335 women aged 50 to 78 over an average follow-up period of nearly 12 years, suggests that HT does not generally increase glioma risk, although certain subgroups might face elevated risks.
Using data from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, researchers employed Cox proportional hazard models to estimate the relationship between HT and glioma incidence. Over the follow-up period, 101 participants were diagnosed with glioma. The results indicated no significant association between HT use and glioma risk (hazard ratio [HR], 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75–1.81), even when considering HT status or duration of use.
Interestingly, subgroup analyses revealed a significant positive association between HT use and glioma risk among women with at least a college education (HR, 3.00; 95% CI, 1.02–8.84). However, the interaction effect for education was not statistically significant (P = 0.056). The study also examined other potential confounding factors, such as marital status, body mass index, oral contraceptive use, hysterectomy, ovariectomy, pregnancy history, age at menarche, and age at menopause, but found no significant associations.
“Our findings suggest that hormone therapy does not substantially impact glioma risk in the general population of postmenopausal women,” the researchers concluded. “However, the observed risk in the highly educated subgroup warrants further investigation.”
They also emphasised the need for additional studies to clarify the potential risks associated with HT use and to explore why certain subgroups might experience different outcomes.
Aleksandra Zurowska, EMJ
Reference
Jinyu P et al. Association between hormone therapy and glioma risk in US women: a cancer screening trial. Menopause. 2025;DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002507.
