The authors conducted a nationwide cohort study to evaluate the association between postmenopausal
hormone therapy and
meningioma incidence in Finland. All women who had used
hormone therapy at least for 6 months at the age of 50 years or older during 1994-2009 were included. Women who had used postmenopausal
hormone therapy were identified from the medical reimbursement register of the Social Insurance Institution (131,480
estradiol users and 131,248
estradiol-
progestin users), and
meningioma cases were identified from the Finnish
Cancer Registry. During the average 9 years of follow-up, 289
estradiol users and 196
estradiol-
progestin users were diagnosed with
meningioma. Ever use of
estradiol-only
therapy was associated with an increased risk of
meningioma (standardized incidence ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval: 1.15, 1.44). Among women who had been using
estradiol-only
therapy for at least 3 years, the incidence of
meningioma was 1.40-fold higher (95% confidence interval: 1.18, 1.64; P < 0.001) than in the background population. In contrast, this risk was not increased in users of combination
therapy (standardized incidence ratio = 0.93, 95% confidence interval: 0.80, 1.06). There was no difference in risk between continuous and sequential use of
hormone therapy.
Estradiol-only
therapy was accompanied with a slightly increased risk of
meningioma.