|
Breast Cancer Rates Fall
|
|
Research presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium shows that the rate of developing breast cancer plunged an “unprecedented” 7% the year after millions of women stopped taking hormone therapy. This supports the link between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. Over 1 million cases will be diagnosed this year . Hormone therapy was widely recommended for use to prevent the symptoms of menopause and lower the risk for heart disease and osteoporosis.
In 2002 the Women’s Health Initiative Study was halted after it was found that breast cancer and heart problems occurred more frequently in women taking hormone therapy. Subsequently, women were urged to take the lowest dose for the shortest duration possible. Within a year, about half as many women were taking hormones.
In the first year there were 2% fewer breast cancer cases and 7% fewer the following year. Estrogen-sensitive tumours declined twice as much as other tumors. This is the most significant decline in breast cancer rates since record-keeping began in the 1970s.
The drop in cases is thought to be attributed to the decline in hormone use . While it is too early to know if stopping hormone therapy will prevent cancers from growing in the first place, it appears that stopping it may lower the likelihood of further growth.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|