Menopausal Hormone Therapy and The Risk for Cancer

Participant: Iqbal Al-Zirqi

Menopausal Hormone therapy (MHT) is associated with a risk of cancer (leading cause of death in Norway). However, research results are inconsistent. This project aims to fill significant knowledge gaps related to the use of MHT and the risk of cancer. By utilizing extensive data from various Norwegian registries and surveys, the project will provide a broad and detailed picture of the relationship between MHT and the risk of different types of cancer. This is a cohort study based on the linkage of Norwegian registers, where we will follow 1.3 million women aged 45+, residing in Norway between 2004 and 2023. Registries used are: the Cancer Registry, the Prescription Registry, Statistics Norway, and the Cause of Death Registry; these will cover all Norwegian residents. Data on various confounding risk factors (e.g., demographic and lifestyle, reproductive and medical factors) can be collected from both the mammography screening questionnaire data (350,000 women) and regional health surveys (100,000 women).The project will provide knowledge about the risk of various cancer types in relation to different types, doses, and duration of hormone therapy. The results can be generalized, as the population is large, and adjusted for confounding factors. This will contribute to an updated national guidelines. A special advisor from the Cancer Society is involved in addition to three female patients who took part in seminars on the role of users, adding a new perspective to our research.