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Breast Cancer Risk in Hormone Replacement Therapy-Treated Women

  • Chapter
Women’s Health in Menopause

Part of the book series: Medical Science Symposia Series ((MSSS,volume 7))

Summary

The background of the relationship between female hormones and breast cancer is reviewed in terms of biological rationale (estrogen and progestin receptors in the breast tissue; cellular mitosis and turnover) and indications from epidemiology (slopes in the age curves in breast cancer incidence and mortality; association with obesity in postmenopause; serum and urine estrogen levels in various populations and breast cancer risks). In relation to postmenopausal hormonal therapy, 26 published studies are reviewed. Their data allow us confidently to exclude appreciable increases in risk for short-term duration of use (up to 5 years) in the short-medium term after stopping, while the relative risk appears elevated by 30 to 70% for long-term use. These conclusions are discussed in a broader public health perspective of cost/benefit evaluation of postmenopausal hormonal therapy, including cancer as well as cardiovascular disease and bone metabolism.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”, Via Eritrea, 62, 20157, Milan, Italy

    Carlo La Vecchia

  2. Istituto di Biometria e Statistica Medica, Università di Milano, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Carlo La Vecchia

Authors
  1. Carlo La Vecchia
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    P. G. Crosignani

  2. Institute of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    R. Paoletti

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    P. M. Sarrel

  4. Department of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    N. K. Wenger

  5. Clinica Menopausa, Milan, Italy

    M. Meschia (Assistant Editor) (Assistant Editor)

  6. Institute of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    M. Soma (Assistant Editor) (Assistant Editor)

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© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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La Vecchia, C. (1994). Breast Cancer Risk in Hormone Replacement Therapy-Treated Women. In: Crosignani, P.G., Paoletti, R., Sarrel, P.M., Wenger, N.K., Meschia, M., Soma, M. (eds) Women’s Health in Menopause. Medical Science Symposia Series, vol 7. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1024-2_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1024-2_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4446-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-1024-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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