Treatment patterns of women with endometriosis in Canada

Introduction: We aimed to characterize the treatment patterns of women with a self-reported diagnosis of endometriosis in Canada. Methods: Between December 2018 and January 2019 an online cross-sectional survey was administered to women aged 18 to 49 who were members of the Survey Sampling International and two partner panels in Canada. The survey included a prevalence screener and an endometriosis-focused section. Self-reported treatment patterns among women reporting endometriosis diagnosis were analyzed descriptively. Results: Of 30,000 survey respondents, 2004 reported an endometriosis diagnosis (prevalence after weighting of 7%). Treatment status reported by these women was: 34.2% currently treated, 35.9% with prior but no current treatment, and 27.1% never treated. Among women with prior or current treatment, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, contraceptive pills/patches, and surgical procedures were used by 42.0%, 37.1%, and 26.4%, respectively, prior to diagnosis and by 39.9%, 33.0%, and 43.5%, respectively, following diagnosis. First treatments for endometriosis most commonly reported were OTC medications (28.9%) and surgical procedures (21.6%). Second treatments were reported by 46.5% of women, with surgical procedures (26.1%) being the most frequently reported. The most commonly reported endometriosis-associated surgeries were surgical ablation/excision (37.4%). Conclusion: A relevant proportion of women with endometriosis in Canada have multiple therapies with medical management as a first line followed by surgical options. These results emphasize the need to identify more effective and specific endometriosis treatment options and novel strategies.