Will Hormonal Replacement Therapy Give You Ovarian Or Breast Cancer?

Several recent media reports have certainly made quite a few women worrying. Several scientific studies revealed that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) commonly used by many post-menopausal women is linked to increased risk of developing both ovarian and breast cancer. The risk has also been shown to be higher among women who have been taking drugs for several years.

So, what exactly does this mean for women taking hormone replacement therapy?

In this article I would like to discuss what the scientists found in their studies and what the implications are for the HRT users. Let's take a look at what exactly HRT is, why women take it, and the recent studies suggesting its link to an increased risk of cancer.

What Is Hormone Replacement Therapy?

Hormone replacement therapy, which is also commonly known as Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) or Postmenopausal hormone therapy (PHT), is a therapy or medication that provides the female hormones which are no longer made by the body after it goes through menopause.

Initially, the doctors not only believed that HRT helps with the hot flashes and the other often unbearable menopause symptoms but also that it has many important health benefits. Later, however, several clinical studies reported that the risks of this treatment may actually outweigh its benefits, especially when given to older postmenopausal women.

A study conducted on women in the age group of 50 to 79 who took this therapy showed that if a woman started taking hormones between the ages of 50 to 55 or if the therapy was initiated less than 10 years before the start of the menopause, they have less risk of heart disease and death from any of the risks associated with this treatment.

Types Of Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone replacement therapy OEMs in many different types, all of which may have different risks and effects on your body. The main two types of HRT are:

• Combination HRT- This medication contains the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
• Estrogen only HRT- It contains only estrogen.

HRT is usually categorized in two parts:

• Systemic hormone therapy: This is when systemic estrogen is given either in the form of a pill, cream, gel or spray. It is the most effective treatment for relief from menopausal symptoms like night sweat or hot flashes. This therapy may also ease vaginal symptoms such as dryness, burning and discomfort during intercourse, and itching.

• Vaginal Products: These are low-dose vaginal preparations of estrogen. These are usually effective in treating vaginal symptoms of menopause.

Risks Of Breast cancer

A study conducted on a million women found that HRT does increase the risk of breast cancer. But the risk gets lowered and is back to normal once the hormone therapy is stopped after around five years.

See Also: A Bizarre Mass On My Breast: Could It Be Cancer?

A study conducted on the effect of HRT on breast cancer in women between the ages of 40 and 79 found that 72 out of a thousand women will develop breast cancer. So, for every 1,000 women undergoing estrogen-only HRT for 10 years there will be around 12 women diagnosed with breast cancer, and for women undergoing combined HRT for 10 years, 84 women out of one thousand will develop breast cancer.

Long-Term Hormone Replacement Therapy Linked To Higher Risk Of Cancers

A study conducted for long-term use of estrogen-only HRT found that the longer the therapy is continued, the more the risk of breast cancer goes up. The researchers calculated the risk of breast cancer increases by 40 percent after 20 years use of this hormone therapy.

In other words, in women not taking HRT, 35 out of thousand have the possibility of developing breast cancer as against 49 out of thousand women who undergo hormone therapy for 20 years.

Risk Of Ovarian Cancer

A lot of recent studies confirm that women who have undergone HRT in the recent past or are on the hormone therapy have a higher risk of ovarian cancer than women who have never been on hormone therapy.

Another study evaluated more than 909,000 women between ages 50 to 79. They were followed for up to eight years and the result showed 3068 cases of ovarian cancer at the end of the eight years period. In this cohort of patients, 63 percent of the women never underwent HRT and nine percent of the women were current users. In other words, the current hormone therapy users had an approximately 38 percent higher risk of ovarian cancer. That is,  for every 8,300 women on HRT, one case of ovarian cancer per year can be added due to hormone therapy.

However, these risks did decline as the hormone-free years increased. If the patients have been off the therapy for more than two years, their risk of ovarian cancer was found to be the same as that of the non-users.

The best advice would be to talk to your doctor before undergoing any hormone therapy. The decision on the HRT treatment should be based on an individual’s medical history as well as the risk factors. If a woman has an ovarian cancer in the family, it is better to avoid taking any hormones.

The Need For Balanced Decisions

Though the studies and research related to the benefits and risks of hormonal replacement therapy are still continuing, one thing is now clear: this therapy cannot be used for prevention of any diseases.

See Also: Avoid Confusing Thyroid Symptoms With Menopause

The increase of HRT-associated risk of cancer is actually quite small, but some categories of patients might be more vulnerable. If it is very important for a woman to undergo this therapy to quell the menopausal symptoms, it should be used in the lowest possible dose and for the shortest duration. Any doctor should consider an individual’s health, family history of diseases like heart condition, stroke, history of oncological diseases, reproductive history and lifestyle choices like drinking, smoking, diet, weight and blood pressure before prescribing any sort of hormone therapy.