The Use of Etonogestrel Contraceptive Implant as Treatment for Endometrial Hyperplasia Without Atypia: A Cohort Study

Endometrial hyperplasia without atypia is a condition in which the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) becomes abnormally thick. Although endometrial hyperplasia without atypia is not cancer, it can lead to endometrial cancer in 1-3% of women. This disease is treated by giving progestins. The optimal route, dosage and duration of progestin treatment for endometrial hyperplasia has not yet been determined until now. However, several publications have suggested the use of levonorgestrel releasing IUD as first-line treatment for endometrial hyperplasia without atypia. The other common medications used are the oral progestins medroxyprogesterone (MPA) and norethisterone acetate (NETA). The etonogestrel implant (Implant NXT) has been approved for contraceptive use by the US FDA in 2006. The mchanism of action of the implant for contraception suggests a potential application for its use in the treatment on hyperplasia. Off-label use of the implant for adrnomyosis, endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain has already been described in various studies. However, its therapeutic effect on endometrial hyperplasia without atypia has not been studied yet. The researchers propose to use the etonogestrel implant (Implant NXT) as novel treatment for endometrial hyperplasia without atypia. The study aims to determine the rate of regression to normal endometrium among patients with endometrial hyperplasia without atypia at 3 and 6 months after insertion of the implant.