Cancer Risk in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients: Common Treatments and Future Perspectives

The document reviews the relationship between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and cancer risk, with a focus on reproductive cancers. It explains that PCOS is associated with an increased risk of endometrial cancer but found no association with ovarian or breast cancer. The review calls for more research to clarify the links between PCOS and gynecological cancers and to understand the mechanisms of cancer development in PCOS patients. It also examines common treatments for PCOS, such as oral contraceptives and metformin, noting that some treatments may reduce the risk of certain cancers. The document includes a table summarizing studies with 919 to 12,070 participants, showing hazard ratios for different cancer types. It concludes that there is no definitive evidence for a direct causal relationship between PCOS and breast cancer, but PCOS may play a role in the incidence of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Further research is needed to understand cancer progression in PCOS patients and the impact of their medical therapy.