BMJ  2005;330:1024 (30 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7498.1024-a

Letter

Reduction in mortality from breast cancer

Fall in use of hormones could have reduced breast cancer mortality

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—The fall in breast cancer deaths in women aged 40-54, first diagnosed under age 50 during 1991-2000, but not invited for screening, could be due to the reduction in the use of oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy after warnings of increased risk of thrombosis.¹

In 1995-6 several large studies confirmed an increased risk of primary thrombosis of four to six times with different combinations of progestogen and oestrogen.² Use of "third" generation progestogens—desogestrel, gestodene, and norgestimate—which had double the risk of thrombosis compared with "second" generation progestogens, sharply declined after warnings of increased risks.

Less than 12 months' use of most hormone replacement formulations increased the risk of breast cancer risk; quantified at 45-63% in the million women study, which also found that current use of hormone replacement doubled the risk of breast cancer and increased breast cancer fatalities by at least 22%. In the million women . . . [Full text of this article]

Kingston-upon-Thames KT2 7JU ellengrant@onetel.com

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Rapid Responses:

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Progesterone??

Dolev Gilmore
bmj.com, 2 May 2005 [Full text]

Progesterone and synthetics acting like progesterone

Ellen CG Grant
bmj.com, 3 May 2005 [Full text]

Re: Progesterone and synthetics acting like progesterone

Dolev Gilmore
bmj.com, 4 May 2005 [Full text]

Re: Progesterone and synthetics acting like progesterone

Dolev Gilmore
bmj.com, 5 May 2005 [Full text]

Re: Re: Progesterone and synthetics acting like progesterone

Ellen C G Grant
bmj.com, 5 May 2005 [Full text]

Re: Re: Re: Progesterone and synthetics acting like progesterone

Dolev Gilmore
bmj.com, 6 May 2005 [Full text]

Nutritionists , progesterone and synthetics acting like progesterone

Ellen C G Grant
bmj.com, 6 May 2005 [Full text]

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