Hormone therapy linked to risk of ovarian cancer

[Guest guest]

>> I think it's to late . I'm already nuts! My family wants to yank

>> my internet connection LOL!

>> This subject is really a hot issue for me because someone very close

>> to me has been on HRT's

>> for over 20 years and last year she had a scare with breast cancer.

>> It turned out to be a calcium

>> deposit, but it was then that I started reading about HRT's and I

>> couldn't convince her to stop the

>> HRT's. Finally after this new report came out, she has agreed to at

>> least talk to her doctor. She is

>> someone that thinks doctors are always right. After I bombarded her

>> mail box with tons of articles,

>> at least she is looking at them. Whatever she decides is her

>> business, but at least I educated her

>> to the risks and alternatives.

>> Yes that group of physicians might have a different view if it were

>> their own innards that they were

>> ripping out.

>> a

>>

>>

>> On Monday, April 29, 2002, at 08:40 AM, wrote:

>>

>>> Don't go nuts, a! We need you here, sane and sound.

>>>

>>> I agree. Given what I've read on HRT, the data so far does not compel

>>> me

>>> to think that it is a good option for me when menopause comes. The

>>> possible benefits are far from proven, so, at this time, I wouldn't be

>>> willing to risk increased cancer odds.

>>>

>>> Also, it's hard to trust the opinion on this matter of the very group

>>> of

>>> physicians who so casually and frequently recommend removing our

>>> reproductive organs without a long, hard look at the long-term

>>> consequences or alternatives!

>>>

>>> I wish none of this had anything to do with money, but, unfortunately,

>>> your suspicions could be right on.

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> Re: [ ] Hormone therapy linked to risk of ovarian

>>> cancer

>>>

>>>

>>> > ,

>>> > This article makes me nuts.  They have know that HRT's increase the

>>> > chance of

>>> > breast cancer and ovarian since 1992, but they feel that the

>>> positive

>>> > benefits of denser

>>> > bones and less heart attacks makes up for the fact that the HRT's

>>> are

>>> > causing

>>> > cancer in long term use.   This past month the results were

>>> published

>>> > proving

>>> > that the bone density only is increased in the first 3 years.  

>>> After

>>> > that there was no difference.

>>> >   They have also found the the HRT's do NOT decrease our risk of

>>> heart

>>> > attacks.

>>> > Woman on long term HRT's are being urged to talk to their doctor

>>> about

>>> > stopping HRT's

>>> > especially if they have been on them long term.

>>> > HRT's are the 3rd most widely prescribed medication (if my memory is

>>> > right) so there is great

>>> > financial gain to keeping woman on HRT's.

>>> > Some woman experience severe menopause side effects and have to have

>>> > them, but there are

>>> > a lot of woman that take them because they think they are protecting

>>> > their bones and heart.

>>> > The truth is and has been know that they are increasing their risks

>>> of

>>> > cancer.

>>> > a

>>> >

>>> >

>>> > On Sunday, April 28, 2002, at 01:20 PM, wrote:

>>> >

>>> > > Hormone therapy linked to risk of ovarian cancer

>>> > >

>>> > > NEW YORK, Apr 02 (Reuters Health) - Certain types of hormone

>>> replacement

>>> > > therapy may increase the risk of ovarian cancer in women who take

>>> the

>>> > > drugs after menopause, according to a study released on Tuesday.

>>> Those

>>> > > taking the drugs for more than 10 years seem to be at the greatest

>>> risk

>>> > > for ovarian cancer.

>>> > >

>>> > > However, the increase in risk is relatively modest and should be

>>> weighed

>>> > > against the potential health benefits of hormone replacement,

>>> according

>>> > > to Dr. Tomas Riman, from Falu Hospital, Sweden, and colleagues.

>>> Past

>>> > > studies have shown that hormone replacement therapy can reduce the

>>> risk

>>> > > of bone-thinning, and possibly heart disease, though that has not

>>> yet

>>> > > been proven.

>>> > >

>>> > > " We advocate cautious interpretation of our results and do not

>>> recommend

>>> > > changes to current hormone replacement therapy prescribing

>>> practices, "

>>> > > Riman and colleagues report in the April 3rd issue of the Journal

>>> of

>>> the

>>> > > National Cancer Institute.

>>> > >

>>> > > " For women to make an informed decision on whether or not to use

>>> hormone

>>> > > replacement therapy, all beneficial and adverse hormonal aspects

>>> > > concerning osteoporosis, coronary heart disease, venous thrombosis

>>> > > (blood clot formation) and other health effects must be

>>> addressed, "

>>> they

>>> > > add.

>>> > >

>>> > > In the study, the researchers compared 655 women with ovarian

>>> cancer

>>> to

>>> > > nearly 4,000 healthy women the same age. All the women were 50 to

>>> 74

>>> > > years of age.

>>> > >

>>> > > Compared with women who had never used estrogen replacement

>>> therapy,

>>> > > women who took estrogen alone were at increased risk of ovarian

>>> cancer.

>>> > >

>>> > > Women who used estrogen with sequentially added progestins--a

>>> cyclic

>>> > > regimen of the second hormone--were also at an increased risk of

>>> ovarian

>>> > > cancer compared with women who had never used estrogen.

>>> > >

>>> > > However, women who used hormone replacement therapy with

>>> continuously

>>> > > (daily) added progestins were no more likely to develop ovarian

>>> cancer

>>> > > than those who never had used hormones. Taking estrogen alone is

>>> know to

>>> > > increase the risk of cancer of the uterine lining, so most women

>>> now

>>> > > also take progestin, a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone,

>>> as

>>> > > part of hormone replacement therapy.

>>> > >

>>> > > The greatest increased risk of ovarian cancer was seen among women

>>> who

>>> > > had used estrogen with sequentially added progestins for more than

>>> 10

>>> > > years.

>>> > >

>>> > > However, the researchers note that the possible increase in risk

>>> is

>>> > > still relatively modest. Of 1,000 women taking estrogen alone or

>>> in

>>> > > combination with sequential progestin, 2 to 3 might develop

>>> ovarian

>>> > > cancer as a result of the treatment.

>>> > >

>>> > > SOURCE: Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2002;94:497-504.

>>>

>>>

>>

>>>

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