(Also Called 'Hormone Therapy', 'HRT')
Hormone therapy (HT) is a treatment program in which a woman
takes estrogen and progestin (a synthetic form of progesterone) to relieve
menopause symptoms. HT also reduces a woman’s risk for osteoporosis and other
conditions that become more common after menopause.
While HT has many benefits, it has been shown to increase a
postmenopausal woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, especially after age
60. Studies show the risk is reduced when HT is stopped, and the risk no longer
increases.
Increased risk with prolonged use
The length of time a woman takes HT also affects a woman’s risk.
Taking HT for five to 10 or more years increases the risk.
Do the benefits outweigh the risk?
The known link between HT and increased breast cancer risk has
discouraged many women and their doctors from choosing or recommending hormone
therapy (HT). Most breast specialists do not recommend HT for breast cancer
survivors, while others may recommend HT based on its potential benefits,
including quality of life concerns.
The type of hormone therapy (estrogen only or combination of
estrogen and progestin), as well as the woman’s individual characteristics and
symptoms should be considered when weighing the risks and benefits of HT. The
decision to use HT after menopause should be made by a woman and her health care
provider after weighing all of the potential risks and benefits.
Newer options for HT
Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) are a newer class
of drugs -- similar to estrogen -- that protect against osteoporosis by
increasing bone density, while protecting against the development of breast
cancer. A recent study showed the SERM raloxifene, marketed as Evista®, reduced
the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women by 50 to 90 percent. The Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Evista for a very specific breast
cancer indication: for the reduction in risk of invasive breast cancer in
postmenopausal women at high risk for invasive breast cancer. It is important to
understand that Evista did NOT receive approval for treatment of invasive
breast cancer, reduction of the risk of recurrent breast cancer, or
reduction of the risk of noninvasive breast cancer. Tamoxifen (Nolvadex®),
another SERM, is also FDA approved for the reduction of the incidence of breast
cancer in women at high risk. It is also approved for the treatment of
metastatic breast cancer (cancer that has spread beyond the breast tissue),
adjuvant breast cancer, and ductal carcinoma in situ.