share: News on ovarian cancer and hormone replacement therapy
There's some new information in the constantly changing landscape of hormone therapy and risks to our health. A study in today's issue of the Journal of American Medicine says that hormone therapy increases a woman's risk of ovarian cancer, regardless of what kind of hormone therapy is used.
However, the risk still remains low, and the increased risk goes away two years after stopping the therapy, the study says.
The large Danish study -- more than 900,000 women -- compared those who had never used HRT with those who were using it currently. Those using it currently had a 38 percent increased risk of ovarian cancer and a 44 percent increased risk of epithelial ovarian cancer, which is cancer that begins on the outer lining of the ovary.
The risk for any one woman is still small, the study notes. The researchers calculated that for every 8,300 women, hormone therapy would result in one extra case of ovarian cancer a year.
Here are some quotes from the lead researcher:
""Our study underlines previous evidence that postmenopausal hormones increase the risk of ovarian cancer," said the study's lead author, Lina Steinrud Morch of the gynecological clinic at the Rigshospitalet of Copenhagen University in Denmark. "The risk among women taking hormones was increased regardless of the duration of use, the formulation, the estrogen dose, regimen, progestin type or route of administration," she added.
"And, although the absolute risk of ovarian cancer remained low, Morch noted, "ovarian cancer is the most lethal of gynecologic cancers. The five-year survival rates are 40 percent. Only a few risk factors for ovarian cancer are modifiable."
Here's a link to the complete story:
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/07/14/hormone-th...
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Add a Comment2 Comments
Well, then...I suppose this means that my risk is that much lower because I haven't been on HRT all these years? What seems so frustrating is that what is meant to help women may actually be killing them. Drastic statement, but, that's how it seems.
Thank you for sharing this information. I hope others who read this aren't discouraged from finding alternative treatment for menopausal symptoms.
July 16, 2009 - 5:19pmThis Comment
This is some new information for me because only now i know that HRT increases the risk of ovarian cancer.According to a recent study, it was found that women suffering from metastatic ovarian cancer could eventually be treated with a radioactive compound capable of seeking out and destroying tumor cells.So i think this could be a better treatment to know about and not to worry.For more information on the topic,visit
September 9, 2009 - 2:58amhttp://www.empowereddoctor.com/potential-ovarian-cancer-treatment-seeks-...
Thanks for sharing new information.