title: Pelvic surgery and hospitalization among Chilean women after nonsurgical sterilization with quinacrine pellets between 1977 and 1989.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Concern about quinacrine lingers because of its carcinogenic effects in rats. We describe results of long-term follow-up of women who underwent quinacrine pellet sterilization in Chile between 1977 and 1989 (N=1492).
  
  
  METHODS
  We interviewed the women or relatives in five rounds of data collection between 1991-1993 and 2006-2007, and reviewed hospital records. Median follow-up was 18.5 years; total person-time was 23,894 woman-years. This analysis focuses on pelvic and abdominal surgeries and conditions. We used survival analysis to estimate the 15-year cumulative probability of hysterectomy, other pelvic surgical procedures and relevant adverse events.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Uterine fibroids were by far the most common gynecologic condition, reported by 11% of the cohort. Surgical procedures were recorded for 15% of the cohort; hysterectomy was the most frequent procedure (10%), followed by salpingectomy (2%). The 15-year probability of any pelvic or abdominal procedure was 14.7 per 100 women (95% confidence interval 12.4-16.9). The probability of hysterectomy was 9.3 per 100 women (95% confidence interval 7.4-11.1). Number of quinacrine insertions had little impact on the probabilities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During long-term follow-up of women who received quinacrine pellets for nonsurgical sterilization, the incidence of noncancer adverse outcomes was not unusually high, and no alarming patterns emerged.
authors.affiliation: FHI 360, P.O. Box 13950, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Feldblum
authors.forename: Angie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wheeless
authors.forename: Valentin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Trujillo
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guzman
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Halpern
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Sokal
mesh_terms: D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004343:Drug Implants; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D010388:Pelvis / Q000601:surgery*; D011796:Quinacrine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012102:Reproductive Control Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013245:Sterilization, Reproductive / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014599:Uterus
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D004343:Drug Implants; D012102:Reproductive Control Agents; D011796:Quinacrine