Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and Breast Cancer

Introduction & Objective: Large-scale randomized clinical trials and observational studies have consistently found that use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT)increases the risk of breast cancer. More recently, ecological studies have shown correlations between dramatic reductions in use of HRT in many countries, and declines in the rates of breast cancer in older women. Metaanalyses of data from the trials and observational studies show that the increase in breast cancer risk is greater for combined estrogen-progestin therapies compared to estrogen alone; and for both types of preparations, breast cancer risk increases with duration of use, and decreases relatively quickly after cessation of use. For both estrogenonly and combined therapies, the risk of breast cancer is higher if therapy is initiated close to the time of menopause, compared to those for whom HRT is started later. Most drug regulatory authorities currently recommend that HRT be prescribed only to fully informed women who have moderate-to-severe menopausal symptoms, for the shortest duration possible; and it is recommended that the need for therapy be reviewed at least every 6-12months.

Keywords:

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) , breast cancer , estrogen