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Hormone Therapy Connected to Breast Cancer

-December 15, 2008

A federal study led by UCLA researchers has recently confirmed that women who take estrogen and progestin pills for as little as a few years double their risk of developing breast cancer.

For decades, hormone therapy was a common treatment for menopause, as medical experts believed these hormones could safely reduce the bone loss and heart issues associated with menopause.

In more recent years, however, researchers have identified a connection between hormone use and the development of breast cancer. Yet, until this study, experts were still debating whether the benefits of hormone use outweighed its risks.

Menopause Treatments

To reduce the uncomfortable and/or debilitating symptoms of menopause, doctors typically prescribe:

• biophosphonate medications (to reduce osteoporosis)
• Clonidine and/or Gabapentin (to reduce hot flashes)
• hormones
• low-dose antidepressant medication
• vaginal creams (to reduce dryness)

Natural menopause treatments, including herbs and acupuncture, may also be effective for some. However, be sure to discuss viable treatment options with your doctor before beginning any new medication or therapy.

The Initial Phase of Research

This watershed study was conducted in two parts. Part one, which began in 2002, included nearly 17,000 women who all shared similar ages, weights and medical histories. While some were given placebos, the rest were administered Prempro, a Wyeth-produced pill that contains both estrogen and progestin.

This initial phase of the study was terminated when researchers noticed that participants taking Prempro had increased their risk of developing breast cancer by 26 percent after taking the hormones for nearly 6 years.

Three years later, researchers picked up the initial phase of this study and focused on over 15,300 of the original participants. In this phase, researchers tracked the incidence of breast cancer among hormone users over a few years.

The findings of this study indicated that women's use of hormones significantly increased their risk of breast cancer. However, when women stopped taking hormones, their risk dropped to normal risk levels within two years of quitting hormone therapy.

Part Two of the Study

During the second phase of this study, researchers focused on two groups of women:

• over 16,100 hormone users
• about 25,300 women who had never taken hormones

As researchers examined the incidence of breast cancer in these two groups, they found that:

• Hormone users initially had twice the risk of developing breast cancer.
• The risk of cancer dramatically fell as hormone use was reduced.
• Fewer women are currently undergoing hormone therapy, as hormone use has decreased by around 70 percent since the start of this study (2002).

Despite the solid connection between hormone use and breast cancer, researchers are stressing that, in some cases, taking hormones will still be necessary.

Those who experience severe menopausal symptoms may still need hormone therapy. However, use of hormones should occur for as little time as possible (preferably under three years) to avoid significantly increasing the risk of breast cancer.

Future studies in this vein will focus on the risk levels for women who are only taking estrogen (mainly those who have undergone a hysterectomy).

(Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

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