title: Assessment of mammographic density in postmenopausal women during long term hormone replacement therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess long-term effects of different hormone replacement therapy (HRT) regimens on mammographic density.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred sixty-five postmenopausal women were treated with the same HRT during 5 years: 38 received transdermal estradiol, 78 cyclic combined therapy and 49 continuous combined therapy. Mammograms were obtained at baseline, at 1-year and 5-year treatment. Breast density changes were categorized as slight focal increased density, considerable focal increased density, slight diffuse increased density and considerable diffuse increased density.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mammographic density increased in 7.9% of women receiving estrogen alone versus 25.2% of women receiving combined therapy (p < 0.022) during 1 year, and in 7.9% of women versus 28.3% of women (p < 0.009) after 5 years of therapy, respectively. There were significant statistical differences in women treated with estrogen alone versus those treated with combined HRT after 1 and 5 years. After 5 years of HRT, breast density increased 21.8% in women receiving cyclic combined therapy versus 38.8% in those under continuous combined therapy (p < 0.039).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An increase in breast density is significantly more frequent in women receiving combined estrogen-progestin therapy than in women receiving estrogen alone. There are differences between cyclic and continuous combined therapy at 5 years of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital Santa Ana, Motril , Granada , Spain .
authors.forename: Encarnación
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carmona-Sánchez
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Cuadros López
authors.forename: Ángela M
authors.initials: ÁM
authors.lastname: Cuadros Celorrio
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pérez-Roncero
authors.forename: Amanda R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: González Ramírez
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Fernández Alonso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D000071060:Breast Density; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000002:abnormalities*; D008327:Mammography; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D010298:Parity; D017698:Postmenopause; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004958:Estradiol; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate