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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Oncol.
Sec. Gynecological Oncology
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1541585
This article is part of the Research Topic Deep Learning for Medical Imaging Applications View all 8 articles

The Influence of Menopause Age on Gynecologic Cancer Risk: A Comprehensive Analysis Using NHANES Data

Provisionally accepted
Yiliminuer Abulajiang Yiliminuer Abulajiang 1Tao Liu Tao Liu 2Ming Wang Ming Wang 1Abulai ， Abidan Abulai ， Abidan 3Yumei Wu Yumei Wu 1*
  • 1 Department of Gynecological Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
  • 2 Baoding University of Technology, Baoding, China
  • 3 The First People’s Hospital of Kashi, (The Affiliated Kashi Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University), Kashi, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Menopause, a natural transition, affects women's health risks, including gynecologic cancers. Early menopause, linked to lower estrogen, may increase cancer susceptibility. This study analyzed 2 NHANES data from 1999 to 2020 for 8,219 postmenopausal women to explore the relationship between menopausal age and gynecologic cancers. We used regression models and RCS models to assess the risk. Methods: This study utilized data from the NHANES spanning 1999 to 2020, focusing on 8,219 postmenopausal women selected through stratified sampling. Variables including socioeconomic factors, health behaviors, nutritional status, and medical history were assessed in relation to participants' menopausal age and gynecologic cancer prevalence. We analyzed the relationship between menopausal age and gynecologic cancers (cervical, ovarian, and uterine) using multiple regression models. Additionally, we employed RCS models to evaluate nonlinear relationships between menopausal age and gynecologic cancer risk. Results: Our findings indicate a significant inverse association between menopausal age and the risk of gynecologic cancers. After controlling for confounding factors such as age, race, BMI, and lifestyle variables, a later age at menopause was associated with a reduced risk of cervical, ovarian, and uterine cancers. The RCS model revealed a non-linear, low-L-shaped relationship, particularly highlighting increased cancer risks at younger menopausal ages. Subgroup analyses demonstrated consistent results across demographic and lifestyle factors, confirming the robustness of the observed associations.This study reveals the link between menopausal age and gynecologic cancer prevalence. Early menopause is a significant risk factor for cervical, ovarian, and uterine cancers. Our findings support tailored cancer screening based on menopausal age, potentially improving preventive care for postmenopausal women.

    Keywords: Menopause age, Gynecologic cancer risk, Personalized cancer screening, NHANES data analysis, risk stratification

    Received: 08 Dec 2024; Accepted: 08 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Abulajiang, Liu, Wang, Abidan and Wu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Yumei Wu, Department of Gynecological Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.