HRT 'increases cancer death risk'

Thousands of women a year undergo hormone replacement therapy (HRT), but when doing so these women may be placing themselves at risk, a new study has revealed.

Recent research conducted by US healthcare specialists shows that women who have HRT using oestrogen and progestin have a much greater risk of dying from lung cancer than those who have never had the therapy.

A new article published in the Lancet medical journal and written by Professor Rowan Chlebowski recommended that the findings should be incorporated into risk-benefit discussions for women considering HRT, especially those at high risk of lung cancer.

It follows research conducted by professor Chelebowski, who is a resident at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbour-UCLA Medical Center in California, which revealed that this form of HRT can increase cancer death risk by up to 71 per cent.

The expert studied data from a Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial, which also showed that those undergoing HRT using oestrogen and progestin had higher risks of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, venous thromboembolism and breast cancer.

He told cancer insurance customers that postmenopausal women who received either a once-daily tablet of 0.625 mg conjugated equine oestrogen plus 2.5 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate had a much higher lung cancer death rate after eight years.

The author noted: "Treatment with oestrogen plus progestin in postmenopausal women ... increased the number of deaths from lung cancer, in particular deaths from non-small-cell lung cancer.

"These findings should be incorporated into risk–benefit discussions with women considering combined hormone therapy, especially those with a high risk of lung cancer ... such as current smokers or long-term past smokers."

Dr Apar Kishor Ganti, from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, echoed the researchers' comments.

He told cancer cover holders that women at high risk of lung cancer should "probably not" undergo this type of HRT, adding that the results "seriously question" whether the therapy has any role to play in medicine today.

By Louise Jones

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