title: Breast cancer: the role of hormone therapy.
abstract: The possible association of estrogen (E) with or without progestin (P) and breast cancer has been addressed in many studies for several decades. The recent reported prospective double-blind Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study suggests that E + P increases the risk of breast cancer if a woman is an average of 63 years old when she begins replacement therapy. One third of the patients in this study were 70 to 79 years of age when E + P was begun--obviously several decades past menopausal. Retrospective and observational studies suggest protection or no increased risk. The WHI-E only study actually notes a 23% reduction in breast cancer compared with the placebo. It would appear from a review of the literature that if there is an increased risk for breast cancer with E or E + P, it is minimal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Midlife Women's Health, Medical University of South Carolina, 1280 Johnnie Dodds Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464, USA. creasman@musc.edu
authors.forename: William T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Creasman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011372:Progestins / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D011372:Progestins