Risk and Protective Factors

Risk Factors^{1 2 3}

• Obesity (body mass index [BMI] is 30 or higher).
• Use of unopposed estrogen (patients with an intact uterus must take progesterone if they are taking estrogen).
• Increasing age (50 years of age and older).
• Infertility (such as polycystic ovarian syndrome).
• Nulliparity.

Protective Factor^{4 5 6}

Oral contraceptives: 4 years of use reduces risk by 56%; 8 years of use reduces risk by 67%; and 12 years of use reduces risk by 72%. Reduced risk is found in women taking oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) for contraceptive purposes. OCPs increase risk for breast and cervical cancer.

References

¹CDC. What Are the Risk Factors for Uterine Cancer?

²DeVita VT Jr, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA, DePinho RA, and Weinberg RA. Devita, Hellman, and Rosenberg’s Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology (8th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2008.

³Schottenfeld D, Fraumeni J Jr. Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention (3rd ed.). Eastbourne, UK; WB Saunders Co., 1982.

⁴Cullins VE. Noncontraceptive benefits and therapeutic uses of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate. Journal of Reproductive Medicine 1996;41(5 Suppl):428–433.

⁵Kaunitz AM. Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate contraception and the risk of breast and gynecologic cancer. Journal of Reproductive Medicine 1996;41(5 Suppl):419–427.

⁶Montz FJ, Bristow RE, Bovicelli A, Tomacruz R, Kurman RJ. Intrauterine progesterone treatment of early endometrial cancer. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2002;186(4):651–657.