Does taking hormone replacement therapy after menopause increase the risk of breast cancer?
The link between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and breast cancer is controversial. While HRT is highly effective at relieving menopausal symptoms and may provide protection against conditions such as osteoporosis, there is some evidence that supports a link between HRT and an increased risk for breast cancer. In July 2002, the National Institutes of Health halted a large study on HRT, called the Women’s Health Initiative, because the combined estrogen/progestin regimen of the therapy was found to cause 8 cases of invasive breast cancer for every 10,000 women on HRT (a 26 percent increase in breast cancer risk compared to women who do not take HRT). Despite this finding, research on HRT continues to be conflicting.
