Adenocarcinoma of the endometrium while undergoing contraceptive treatment with medroxyprogesterone
Stamm, H.; De Grandi, P.
Revue Medicale de la Suisse Romande 101(11): 913-917
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0035-3655 PMID: 7323568 Document Number: 388017
A 44 year old woman, multipara and healthy, started contraception with injectable medroxyprogesterone acetate in January 1978; in July 1980 severe metrorrhagia appeared and continued until December 1980 when an exploratory curettage revealed the existence of endometrial carcinoma. This diagnosis was confirmed by hysterectomy. Cases such as the one presented here are extremely rare, since medroxyprogesterone is commonly used to cure endometrial cancer. It is possible, that the adenocarcinoma was not hormone dependent since the patient was not yet menopausal, obese, or diabetic, and the dose of medroxyprogesterone used was insufficient to stop the evolution of the endometrial carcinoma. In the published literature there are no cases similar to the one presented here. In case of persistent metrorrhagia in patients treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate, an exploratory curettage is absolutely necessary.