Impact of HRT on breast cancer risk ‘may have been underestimated’

A new study has indicated that the impact of combined hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on increasing a woman's risk of breast cancer may have been underestimated.

Published in the British Journal of Cancer, the findings from the Institute of Cancer Research based this conclusion on analysis of the Breast Cancer Now Generations Study, which followed more than 100,000 women for 40 years to investigate the causes of breast cancer.

HRT is used to treat uncomfortable symptoms of the menopause by topping up decreased levels of oestrogen. While some methods involve using oestrogen alone, others utilise a combination of oestrogen and a progestogen.

The research showed that women using combined HRT for a median duration of 5.4 years were 2.7 times more likely to develop breast cancer during the period of HRT than women who had never undergone this treatment.

This risk increased with duration of use, with those using combined HRT for more than 15 years being 3.3 times more likely to develop breast cancer. However, the increased risk level has was also shown to basically return to normal once HRT use ended.

Study leader Anthony Swerdlow, professor of epidemiology at the Institute of Cancer Research, said: "Our findings provide further information to allow women to make informed decisions about the potential risks and benefits of HRT use."

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