Table 2

Effect of synthetic estrogens and progestins on mammary carcinogenesis

Treatment
Duration
Mammary cancer incidence
Rats with mammary cancer (%)
Average number of cancers per rat

Control
3 weeks
9/12
75
1.5 ± 0.3
100 μg eE + 30 mg megesterol
3 weeks
3/13*
23
0.3 ± 0.2*
30 mg tamoxifen + 30 mg progesterone
3 weeks
7/12
58
0.9 ± 0.3
100 μg eE + 30 mg megesterol
1 week
5/13
38
0.4 ± 0.1*
100 μg eE + 30 mg norethindrone
1 week
3/12*
25
0.2 ± 0.1*

Rats were treated with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea at 7 weeks of age. At 9 weeks of age, the rats were treated with hormones for 1 or 3 weeks. Control rats received empty silastic capsules. eE, 17α-ethynyl estradiol. *P < 0.05 compared with controls.

Rajkumar et al. Breast Cancer Res 2004 6:R31   doi:10.1186/bcr734