Hormone Replacement Therapy Increases Risk for Breast Cancer

Although previous studies have shown that postmenopausal hormone “therapy” increases breast cancer risk, a new study published in the British Journal of Cancer shows that the risk may be greater than had been realized. Researchers examined questionnaires from 58,148 participants in the UK Generations Study for breast cancer incidence rates at menopausal age. Those who underwent combined estrogen/progestogen treatment the longest were as much as three times more likely to develop cancer than those who did not receive hormone treatment. Researchers stress that previous studies which underreported or ignored hormone therapies among their cohorts underestimated the risks.