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Long term use of combined HRT doubles cancer risk

BMJ 2003; 327 doi: 10.1136/bmj.327.7405.9 (Published 3 July 2003)
Cite this as: BMJ 2003;327:9.1

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  1. David Spurgeon
  1. Quebec

    Women over the age of 65 who take combined oestrogen and progestogen hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for five to 15 years or more face a 100% increase in the risk of developing breast cancer, regardless of their pattern of progestogen use, says a new study (JAMA 2003;289: 3254-63

    Although it had been shown previously—with the early closing of an arm of the Women's Health Initiative study—that women taking the combined therapy have an increased risk of breast cancer (BMJ 2002;325: 61), data on the long term use of the therapy and on the risks associated with patterns of use have been lacking.

    The new study was undertaken to fill …

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