title: Hormonal therapies and meningioma: is there a link?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aetiology of meningiomas is largely unknown although hormones have been suggested to play a role.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort study was performed to evaluate hormone-related factors associated with meningioma. Patients (12-89 years) with a first diagnosis of meningioma (January 1996-June 2008) were identified from The Health Improvement Network UK primary care database and age- and sex-matched to controls (n=10000) from the same cohort. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated following a nested case control analysis using unconditional logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 745 patients with meningioma were identified from a study population of 2171287. No significantly increased risk of meningioma was found among female users of oral contraceptives (OR: 1.15; CI: 0.67-1.98), hormone replacement therapy (OR: 0.99; CI: 0.73-1.35) or low-dose cyproterone acetate (CPA; OR: 1.51; CI: 0.33-6.86) compared with non-users. There was a significantly increased risk of meningioma among male users of androgen analogues (OR: 19.09; CI: 2.81-129.74) and among users of high-dose CPA (OR: 6.30; CI: 1.37-28.94) compared with non-users, however there were only three cases currently using these drugs. No significant association was found between meningioma and prostate, breast, or genital cancers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results do not support a role for exogenous hormone use by females in meningioma development. The risk in males was only observed with high-dose, short-term (<1 year) therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While hormonal cancers and therapies are not associated with meningioma in females, the risk in males requires further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Spanish Centre for Pharmacoepidemiologic Research, Madrid, Spain. luciaceife@telefonica.net
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cea-Soriano
authors.forename: Tilo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Blenk
authors.forename: Mari-Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Wallander
authors.forename: Luis A García
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008579:Meningioma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D003278:Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate