HRT: not all women have the same risk of cancer

All women are not equal when it comes to hormone replacement therapy. Some are more at risk of developing breast cancer than others. Many studies have looked at the link between taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) used to relieve the side effects of menopause (hot flashes, mood disorders, vaginal dryness) and the onset of breast cancer. A large study by doctors at the University of Chicago, which was just published in the journal of the National Cancer Institute , shows that not all women have the same risk of developing cancer when they have a hormone replacement therapy during menopause. For this study, doctors looked at the medical records and mammograms of more than one million postmenopausal women, aged 45 and older. They realized that there were more breast cancers in women of normal weight, in those with high breast density and in women of European or Hispanic descent. “In lean women, who have a normal body mass index, the risk of getting breast cancer increases by 35% when they take hormone replacement therapy. While in women with a body mass index greater tha 30, this risk does not appear to be increased by HRT at all, ”explained Dr. Ningqui Hou, who led this study. “Similarly, women of European or Hispanic origin have 20% more risk while this risk does not increase in women of African origin. Finally, breast density also appears to be an additional risk. “Obviously, all these risk factors must be taken into account by the doctor before prescribing HRT. But we are going to continue the study to determine whether the duration of the treatment followed brings an additional risk, ”adds