Practice and patterns of estrogen treatment in climacteric women in a Swedish population. A descriptive epidemiological study. Part I.
A cohort of 23 233 women to whom estrogens had been prescribed and constituting a total material from a defined Swedish population was recruited for the purpose of conducting a prospective follow-up study of endometrial cancer. Their exposure to estrogens was studied in detail by means of a comprehensive questionnaire, which was mailed to 735 randomly selected women from the cohort and answered by 89%. This paper describes the practice of estrogen prescribing in the population and the patterns of exposure of the cohort, as estimated from the sample. Our results indicated: restrictive usage of estrogens with a marked downward secular trend in the frequency of prescriptions; short duration of treatment and frequent temporary interruptions; predominant choice of estradiol valerate compounds; preference for cyclic administration and low-strength tablets; acceptance of recommended dose levels; and adherence to a few, established indications for treatment. When compared with data from a large number of other epidemiological studies, the risk of endometrial cancer in this cohort is likely to be lower.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002979:Climacteric / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004967:Estrogens / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011372:Progestins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013548:Sweden; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced
D004338:Drug Combinations; D004967:Estrogens; D011372:Progestins; D004958:Estradiol