Breast and ovarian cancer

Menopause is not directly linked with an increased cancer risk however some cancer rates do tend to increase with age. Over 80% of all breast cancer cases in the UK are in women over the age of 50.1 In addition, HRT, which many women take to combat the symptoms of the menopause, has been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer – the risk increases with the length of time a women is prescribed HRT, and becomes detectable after between one and two years of treatment8. A combination of oestrogen and progesterone HRT has demonstrated a slight higher risk of breast cancer than oestrogen-only HRT.2

Research has also shown that menopausal and postmenopausal women who are prescribed HRT have a 38% higher risk of developing ovarian cancer, compared to those who have never used HRT treatment.3 The study concludes that, regardless of duration of use, hormone therapy is associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer.3

Orange-Box

References

  1. Breakthrough breast cancer. Available at: www.breakthrough.org.uk/about_breast_cancer/breast_awareness_risk_factors/risk_factors/established_risk_factors/age.html. Last accessed 17.07.09.
  2. Hormone replacement therapy. Available at: www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/breastcancer.htm. Last accessed 19.03.2010
  3. Mørch LS, Løkkegaard E, Andreasen AH et al. Hormone therapy and ovarian cancer. JAMA 2009; 302(3):298-305

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