Protecting the uterus and fertility in premenopausal women with obesity and early abnormal uterine changes
Project 3: Primary Prevention and Uterine Preservation in Premenopausal Women with Obesity and Endometrial Hyperplasia/Cancer
This project compares a progestin IUD plus different weight-loss programs to help premenopausal women with obesity and early abnormal endometrial changes keep their uterus and improve chances of pregnancy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11191548 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you would be a premenopausal woman with obesity and atypical endometrial hyperplasia or early grade 1 endometrial cancer. You would be randomly assigned to receive a levonorgestrel-releasing IUD plus either a therapeutic weight-loss approach (for example medical or bariatric options) or a behavioral weight-loss program. Researchers will follow you over time to see whether the combined treatment clears the abnormal lining, prevents relapse, preserves the uterus, and improves fertility outcomes. The project runs two randomized trials and collects medical and pregnancy outcomes to compare which weight-loss strategy works best with progestin therapy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are premenopausal women with obesity who have atypical endometrial hyperplasia or early (grade 1) endometrial cancer and who wish to preserve their uterus and future fertility.
Not a fit: Patients who are postmenopausal, have more advanced endometrial cancer, have medical contraindications to a progestin IUD or weight-loss procedures, or who prefer immediate hysterectomy are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could let more women avoid hysterectomy, preserve fertility, and increase the chance of a live birth by combining hormonal treatment with effective weight loss.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work shows levonorgestrel IUDs can treat atypical hyperplasia but relapse is common and bariatric surgery has reversed disease in some patients, so combining progestin with weight loss is promising but not yet well tested in randomized trials.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hagemann, Andrea — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Hagemann, Andrea
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.