Breast cancer risk with hormone replacement may be lower than thought

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Researchers in Australia suggest that a woman's risk of breast cancer from hormone replacement could be less than previously believed.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is effective for relieving menopausal symptoms. But recent research has suggested that it may be linked to a number of long-term health risks, including breast cancer.

A team at the New South Wales Breast Cancer Institute have been taking a new look at the HRT and breast cancer link. They have used the latest data to estimate a woman's individual breast cancer risk up to 79 years in relation to HRT. They say that the average risk, without HRT, between 40 and 79 years is 7.2 per cent. HRT does not increase this risk by much. They have calculated the risk for women at different ages and compared the risk for those who have never been on HRT.
For instance, five years use of combined HRT starting at age 50 increases the risk from 6.1 per cent to 6.3 per cent.

Once HRT is stopped, the risk rapidly returns to that of women who have never taken HRT. So, for the individual, HRT does increase the risk of breast cancer but this is only a very small increase. As ever, a woman considering HRT must discuss the risks and benefits with her doctor in the light of the latest knowledge.

Source
British Medical Journal 6th August 2005 Volume 331 pages 347-349

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