Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer

On July 9, 2002, a new study by the Women's Health Initiative showed that Prempro -- a type of hormone replacement therapy made by Wyeth, Inc. -- increases a woman's risk for breast cancer by 26 percent after 4 years of use and raises the risk for strokes, heart attacks and blood clots after short-term use. Based on the results of this study, along with dozens of studies that have been done over the past decade, the Breast Cancer Fund strongly urges the following:

1. All health professionals should stop automatically prescribing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopausal symptoms and therefore putting women's lives at risk for breast cancer and other serious health problems.
2. As women reach menopause, they should avoid taking any form of HRT to relieve their symptoms.
3. Women who are already taking HRT should make a new decision on whether the symptoms they experience warrant the risks that HRT entails. This can only be done by stopping use of HRT in consultation with your doctor and learning the nature of whatever symptoms remain, as some of the discomfort may have subsided over the years.

It's Not Worth the Risk

The Breast Cancer Fund recognizes that for some women the symptoms of menopause can be severely uncomfortable and that they will want relief. However, we strongly endorse the statement made by the authors of this study that the overall health risks of taking the drug exceed the benefits. Despite pharmaceutical companies' claims to the contrary, even short-term use increases a woman's risk for severe health problems such as strokes, heart attacks and blood clots, and has minimal effect on osteoporosis.

Further, while the results of the latest Women's Health Initiative study focus solely on Prempro, dozens of studies in the last five decades have shown that various forms of HRT increase a woman's risk for breast cancer and other health problems.

Alternatives to HRT

We encourage women to explore all of the options available that help relieve menopausal discomforts. Quitting smoking, eating a diet rich in soy products, fruits, vegetables and whole grains; limiting caffeine, alcohol and carbonated soft drinks; and exercising regularly all improve general health and help alleviate menopausal symptoms. When considering complementary therapies, please do so in consultation with health care professionals who are knowledgeable about alternatives to HRT.

Not All Estrogens Come in a Bottle

This latest study simply adds to the already existing body of evidence indicating that breast cancer may be caused by tampering with our natural hormone levels -- either through HRT or through toxins in our environment that mimic the actions of natural hormones. The Breast Cancer Fund advocates for elimination of these environmental and other preventable causes of the disease. Rather than wait for proof that may be decades in coming, it is time to act on this evidence and remove these cancer-causing chemicals and environmental toxins from our bodies and our environment.

Research has established that women who have prolonged exposure to estrogens are at higher risk for breast cancer. Many of the personal characteristics associated with breast cancer (including early puberty, late menopause, delayed childbearing or no children), are related to increased total lifetime exposure to estrogens.

However, exposure to estrogens is not simply a personal characteristic. Many synthetic chemicals in our environment mimic our natural hormones -- including chemicals found in pesticides, prescription drugs, fuels, plastics and household cleaners -- and some of these chemicals have also been linked to breast cancer. State of the Evidence: What is the Connection Between Chemicals and Breast Cancer? -- an annual report first released by the Breast Cancer Fund in February 2002 -- summarizes the scientific studies showing these links.

It is a well-documented fact that many of these hormone-mimicking chemicals accumulate in body fat and remain in breast tissue for decades. Because of this, all women carry synthetic pollutants in their blood, breasts and other fatty tissues -- including chemicals that have been shown to induce mammary tumors in laboratory animals.

Key Facts on Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer