Photo Credit: Jennifer Miranda

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) had a greater risk for endometrial cancer, according to findings published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. The authors of a recent cohort study used nationwide registers to explore the association between PCOS and endometrial cancer in women born in Denmark between 1940 and 1993 (N=1,719,121). The researchers identified 7,862 endometrial cancer cases over a follow-up period of 23.7 years, then used Cox proportional hazards regression models to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Women with PCOS had a significantly increased risk for endometrial cancer compared with those without PCOS (HR, 3.02; 95% CI, 2.03-4.49). This risk was especially elevated among premenopausal women (HR, 5.82; 95% CI, 3.64-9.30), while no notable association was observed in postmenopausal women, though results were limited by younger age and fewer cases. Given their findings, the researchers emphasized the need for prevention efforts and early detection among women with PCOS.