The increased risk of colorectal cancer in the women who underwent hysterectomy from the South Korean National Health Insurance Database

• Published in: BMC women's health Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 1 - 519
• Main Authors: Yuk, Jin -Sung, Yang, Seung-Woo, Yoon, Sang-Hee, Kim, Myoung Hwan, Seo, Yong-Soo, Lee, Yujin, Kim, Jungbin, Yang, Keunho, Gwak, Geumhee, Cho, Hyunjin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central Ltd 29-09-2023; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adnexal surgery; Birth control; Clinical trials; Codes; Cohort analysis; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal carcinoma; Complications and side effects; Demographic aspects; Disease; Endocrine therapy; Endometriosis; Estrogens; Gallbladder; Gallbladder diseases; Gastric cancer; Gastrointestinal cancer; Gastrointestinal tract; Health risks; Hormone replacement therapy; Hormones; Hysterectomy; Menopause; National health insurance; Observational studies; Oophorectomy; Osteoporosis; Ovarian cancer; Population studies; Rectal cancer; Risk factors; Surgery; Ulcers; Womens health; South Korea
• ISSN: 1472-6874; 1472-6874
• DOI: 10.1186/s12905-023-02642-3

Abstract
Background
Several population-based studies and observational studies have shown that oophorectomy is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), and hormone replacement therapy has been associated with a reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer. This study was carried out to investigate whether hysterectomy, which may affect the levels of female hormones, is associated with a risk of cancer of the specific gastrointestinal tract.
Methods
This population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted using insurance data provided by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2020. The hysterectomy group included 40- to 59-year-old women who underwent hysterectomy with uterine leiomyoma or uterine endometriosis from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2014. The control group included women aged 40 to 59 years who visited medical institutions for medical examination from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2014.
Results
The hysterectomy and non-hysterectomhy groups comprised 66,204 and 89,768 subjects, respectively. The median ages in the non-hysterectomy group and hysterectomy group were 48 (range: 43–53) and 46 (range: 44–49) years, respectively. In the unadjusted results of the analysis, all colorectal cancer (CRC) increased in the hysterectomy alone group (HR 1.222, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.016–1.47,
p
 = 0.033), sigmoid colon cancer increased in the hysterectomy alone group (HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.073–2.724,
p
 = 0.024), and rectal cancer increased in the hysterectomy with adnexal surgery group (HR 1.924, 95% CI 1.073–2.724,
p
 = 0.002). The adjusted results showed that all CRC increased in the hysterectomy alone group (HR 1.406, 95% CI 1.057–1.871,
p
 = 0.019), colon cancer increased in the hysterectomy alone group (HR 1.523, 95% CI 1.068–2.17,
p
 = 0.02), and rectal cancer increased in the hysterectomy with adnexal surgery group (HR 1.933, 95% CI 1.131–3.302,
p
 = 0.016). The all-cause mortality of GI cancer increased in the hysterectomy alone group (HR 3.495, 95% CI 1.347–9.07,
p
 = 0.001).
Conclusions
This study showed that the risk of all CRC increased in women who underwent hysterectomy compared with women who did not. In particular, the risk of rectal cancer was significantly higher in the women who underwent hysterectomy with adnexal surgery than in the controls. There was no association between hysterectomy and other GI cancers.