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Hormone therapy boosts risk of breast cancer death

10/21/2010 03:59:00 admin

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Women who used hormone replacement therapy like Prempro indicated for relieving menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes were at higher risk of dying from breast cancer compared to those who did not, according to a new study released Oct 20 online in the Journal of American Medical Association or JAMA.

The finding was derived from the so-called Women's Health Initiative study, which resulted early in data showing that the hormone replacement therapy based on estrogen plus progestin boosted risk of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke, and blood clots in postmenopausal women. The risk of breast cancer, according to early studies, was persistently significant even after patients discontinued using the treatment.

The current study led by Rowan T. Chlebowski, MD, PhD at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California and colleagues was meant to examine the data from the study to see if use of the hormone therapy would affect the risk of invasive breast cancer and breast cancer death.

In the study, 16,608 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 years with no prior hysterectomy from 40 U.S. clinics were randomly assigned to take combined conjugated equine estrogen at 0.625 mg per day plus medroxyprogesterone acetate at 2.5 mg per day or placebo for an average of 5.6 years The study outcomes- invasive breast cancer and breast cancer death were monitored for 11 years until August 2009.

The researchers found those who used the hormone therapy were 25 percent more likely to develop invasive breast cancer compared to those who used the placebo.

The types of breast cancer found in the estrogen-plus-progestin group were similar in histology and grade to those found in the placebo group. However, those on the hormone therapy were 78 percent more likely to be node-positive, which indicates the cancer is in an advanced stage and the patients are at higher risk of death.

Additionally, the researchers found the risk of death from breast cancer was 96 percent higher in the hormone therapy group than that in those who used the placebo. The risk of death from all causes were also 57 percent higher in the study group.

Chlebowski et al. concluded "Estrogen plus progestin was associated with greater breast cancer incidence, and the cancers are more commonly node-positive. Breast cancer mortality also appears to be increased with combined use of estrogen plus progestin."

Studies have found incidence of breast cancer has been on the decline even since more women stopped using hormone therapy after the Women's Health Initiative was discontinued in 2002 due to the discovery of the association between serious side effects like breast cancer and heart disease and stroke, and use of the treatment.

A health observer warned that hormones are still aggressively promoted as treatments for a number of diseases. Drug companies and pharmacies often mislead patients and doctors to make them believe that their hormones are safe by claiming that the hormones like estrogen they sell are natural or bioidentical.

In fact, the health observer said such so-called natural of bioidentical hormones are more dangerous than the environmental estrogenic pollutants like those found in pesticides because the latter are less effective in interacting with the hormone receptors.

Menopause symptoms result from a normal aging process. While they cause much inconvenience, they rarely pose any health risk to women. However, hormone therapy, now considered the most effective treatment for hot flashes, is a risk factor that can cause a range of serious diseases like breast cancer and heart disease among others as studies have demonstrated.

Women who don't like hormones like estrogen and progestin to treat anything may consider using some alternative treatments or following a modified lifestyle. Studies suggest eating soy products help not only prevent breast cancer, but also relieve menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. Acupuncture has also been found effective in relieving hot flashes.

More reports will be published here in the National Breast Cancer Awareness to help readers better understand the risk of breast cancer and how to prevent the disease.

By David Liu