Katie Terry, Sc.D., Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology Harvard Medical School

 
An estimated 38 million U.S. women currently use contraception, a critical component of women’s health. Oral contraceptive use reduces ovarian cancer risk by an estimated 15-30% and is credited with the decreasing ovarian cancer incidence over recent decades. However, oral contraceptive use is decreasing in favor of intrauterine devices (IUDs). The impact of changing contraceptive types and patterns of use on ovarian cancer incidence is unclear. Reported associations between IUD use and ovarian cancer risk are inconsistent, with most studies reporting an inverse association, but some reporting null or even increased risk. Differences between these studies could be attributable to IUD type and timing as well as molecular features of ovarian tumors, including histotype. By pooling data from 11 case control studies, including more than 11,000 ovarian cancer cases and 13,000 controls, we are addressing these questions. On a subset of 1,488 cases, we are further evaluating the association between oral contraceptives and IUDs on tumor immune profiles. Our preliminary results provide some insight into how contraceptive choices may influence future ovarian cancer risk and also highlight how much we still have to learn about how changing trends in contraceptive exposures will impact the future ovarian cancer risk of women currently using (or not using) contraception.
 
join us for light refreshments following the seminar
 
Webex Link: https://ohsu.webex.com/ohsu/j.php?MTID=m337dab431b5f3d29a4d13aa965c37830
Meeting Number: 2630 765 9013
Password: pDby6wXym46

 
Questions?
Nicole Durchanek – durchane@ohsu.edu