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Exogenous sex hormone use and risk of meningioma: a population-based case–control study in Finland

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Abstract

Background

Previous studies on association of exogenous female sex hormones and risk for meningioma have yielded conflicting results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential relation between prior use of menopausal hormone therapy or oral contraception and risk of meningioma.

Methods

This population-based case–control study was conducted during years 2000–2002 in Finland. All women aged 20–69 years with meningioma diagnosis were identified from five university hospitals, and frequency-matched controls were randomly chosen from population register. A total of 264 cases and 505 controls were interviewed on their use of menopausal hormone therapy, oral and other contraception, fertility treatment, treatment for gynecological problems, age at menarche, and number of children. We also analyzed separately tumors expressing progesterone or estrogen receptors. Of the successfully stained tumor specimens, 86.3% were positive for progesterone receptor and 50% for estrogen receptor.

Results

Postmenopausal hormonal treatment, use of contraceptives, or fertility treatment did not influence the risk of meningioma. In further analysis by hormone receptor status, there was some indication for an increased risk of progesterone receptor-positive meningiomas associated with oral contraceptive use (OR 1.39, 95% confidence interval 0.92–2.10) and other hormonal contraception (OR 1.50, 95% CI 0.95–2.36).

Conclusions

Overall, we found little indication that reproductive factors or use of exogenous sex hormones affect meningioma risk.

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Acknowledgments

We thank prof. Juha Jääskeläinen (Helsinki University Hospital, currently Kuopio University), Dr Timo Kuurne (Tampere University Hospital), prof. Matti Vapalahti (Kuopio University Hospital), and prof. John Koivukangas (Oulu University Hospital) for their contributions to data collection at neurosurgery departments. We also thank Anu Outinen, RN, Maarit Alalahti, RN and other study nurses, and research assistants for conducting the interviews. The study was funded by Emil Aaltonen Foundation and Academy of Finland (grant no. 80921). It received also support as part of the Interphone study from the Fifth Framework Programme of the European Commission (Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources), as well as Medical Research Fund of Tampere University Hospital and International Union Against Cancer, which administered the support from the Mobile Manufacturers Forum and GSM Association.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Neurosurgery, Turku University Hospital, PL 52, 20521, Turku, Finland

    K. Korhonen

  2. School of Public Health, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland

    J. Raitanen, T. Salminen & A. Auvinen

  3. Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Institute of Medical Technology, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland

    J. Isola

  4. Department of Pathology, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland

    H. Haapasalo

  5. STUK, Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, Helsinki, Finland

    A. Auvinen

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  1. K. Korhonen
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  2. J. Raitanen
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  3. J. Isola
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  4. H. Haapasalo
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  5. T. Salminen
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  6. A. Auvinen
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Correspondence to K. Korhonen.

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Korhonen, K., Raitanen, J., Isola, J. et al. Exogenous sex hormone use and risk of meningioma: a population-based case–control study in Finland. Cancer Causes Control 21, 2149–2156 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-010-9634-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-010-9634-2

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