The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7261 p169
9 August 2003

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Lancet (www.thelancet.com)
New England Journal of Medicine abstract (more)

Use of HRT linked to 20,000 extra breast cancers over past decade

The use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has resulted in an estimated 20,000 extra breast cancers in the United Kingdom over the past decade, say researchers. Of these, 15,000 were associated with use of products containing a combination of oestrogen and progestogen (Lancet 2003;362:419).

The researchers point out that the main reason for using combination products is because of the increased risk of endometrial cancer associated with unopposed oestrogen. “However ... there seems to be little advantage to using oestrogen-progestogen in preference to oestrogen-only HRT for women who still have a uterus,” they say.

The authors of an accompanying editorial recommend that women taking HRT should discontinue therapy and that guidelines for care of postmenopausal women need to be rewritten.