The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 278 No 7448 p449
21 April 2007

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Ovarian cancer risk is increased for women who use hormone replacement therapy

Women who use hormone replacement therapy are at increased risk of ovarian cancer, data collected from the Million Women Study confirm.

Researchers calculated that for every 1,000 women using HRT, 2.6 developed ovarian cancer over five years, compared with 2.2 per 1,000 in women who did not use HRT. This translates to one extra ovarian cancer diagnosed in every 2,500 HRT users, and one extra death from ovarian cancer in every 3,300 users. Risk did not differ significantly by type of HRT preparation used, its constituents, or mode of administration and returned to that found in women who had never used HRT after women stopped using it. The study was published online in The Lancet on 19 April.