Menopausal hormone therapy after breast cancer

doi:10.1186/bcr1272

Breast Cancer Research
Volume 7
Issue 4

Viewing options:

Abstract
Full text
PDF (38KB)

Associated material:

Related literature:

Articles citing this article
on Google Scholar
on ISI Web of Science
on PubMed Central
Other articles by authors
on Google Scholar

Colditz GA

on PubMed

Colditz GA
Related articles/pages
on Google

on Google Scholar

on PubMed

Tools:

Post to:

Commentary

Menopausal hormone therapy after breast cancer

Graham A Colditz

Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, and Honorary Professor of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

author email corresponding author email

Breast Cancer Research 2005, 7:168-170doi:10.1186/bcr1272


Published:	1 June 2005

See related research article by Col et al: http://breast-cancer-research.com/content/7/4/R535

Abstract

The use of postmenopausal hormone therapy after breast cancer remains controversial. Evidence shows variation by study design, and even among three randomized controlled trials there is substantial heterogeneity of results. Two Swedish trials of comparable size show relative risks of recurrence of 3.3 and 0.82 on comparing women receiving postmenopausal hormone therapy with control women. The extent of use of tamoxifen and concomitant use of progestins in combination with estrogen, although raised as one possible explanation for this heterogeneity, are not supported by evidence from trials of high-dose progestins used after breast cancer. Caution is needed when considering the use of postmenopausal hormone therapy after breast cancer.