Postmenopausal hormone treatment and breast cancer

2003/08/11 Carton Virto, Eider - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Osasuna

The relationship between hormone treatment and breast cancer is not new. In May last year, for example, extensive research was suspended that was studying the influence of these treatments.

In this case, women who have participated in the study alone in estrogen and simultaneously in estrogen and progestin, and in both cases have measured a significantly higher risk of breast cancer in the female hormone group, 22% more on average. However, the amounts vary depending on the type and duration of treatment.

Among women who matched estrogen and progestin, there have been four times more cases of breast cancer than those who only took estrogen. Normally, this treatment is recommended for women with uterus, as the risk of uterine cancer increases with estrogen alone. From now on, doctors and patients will also need to consider the breast cancer factor when recommending either treatment or none.

As for the duration of treatment, researchers have found that prolonged treatments increase the risk. The risk begins to increase from the third year of treatment, and is noticeably manifested when it lasts more than 10 years. However, it has been found that the harmful effect of hormones disappears a few years after leaving treatment.

Given this type of data, the organization that regulates the use of medicines in the UK has decided to modify the recommendations on this therapy and has asked doctors to report the long-term consequences. In this way, from now on they will have to explain annually to the patient what are the possible benefits and harms, since it cannot be forgotten that hormone treatments have many positive aspects. That's why it's best to talk to your doctor.