title: Mammographic density in postmenopausal women treated with tibolone, estriol or conventional hormone replacement therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effects of tibolone, estriol and conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on mammographic parenchymal density in postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a non-randomised, prospective, longitudinal, comparative study conducted at two specialist outpatient clinics in Chile.
  
  
  METHODS
  210 non-obese, postmenopausal women aged <65 years with a normal mammogram at baseline.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants received one of seven oral HRT regimens for 1 year. Treatments (daily doses) were: (i) estradiol 2mg; (ii) estradiol 2mg plus sequential medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) 5mg for 10 to 16 days/cycle; (iii) estradiol 2mg plus continuous MPA 2.5mg; (iv) combined equine estrogens (CEE) 0.625mg; (v) CEE 0.625mg plus sequential MPA 5mg; (vi) estriol 2mg; or (vii) tibolone 2.5mg. In addition, an age-matched group of 30 untreated control individuals was studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increased mammographic density occurred in 67, 57, 30, 43 and 27% of patients receiving regimens (i) to (v), respectively. No patients receiving tibolone or estriol experienced increases (both p < 0.05 vs conventional HRT). Overall, 67 of 210 treated patients [31.9%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 25.7%, 38.6%] experienced increases, compared with one of 30 controls (3.3%; 95% CI 0%, 17.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neither the tissue-specific agent tibolone nor the short-acting estrogen estriol induced any breast density increase. Increased breast density was more frequent with regimens containing estradiol than CEE, and with unopposed rather than opposed regimens. Tibolone (or estriol, if suitable) may be a preferable HRT for women in whom this is a concern.
authors: CEGEP Menopause Clinic, Vitacura 5900 (Of. 412), Santiago, Chile.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Valdivia
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Ortega