News and Press Releases
Title:
HRT does not increase risk of breast cancer in BRCA1 mutation carriers.
Date Written:
01 Oct 2008
The potential association of HRT use and breast cancer risk is of concern in BRCA1 mutation carriers especially those who undergo early prophylactic oophorectomy.
The authors conducted a matched case-control study of 472 postmenopausal women with a BRCA1 mutation to examine whether or not HRT is associated with subsequent risk of breast cancer. They found that in BRCA1 mutation carriers, the adjusted OR for breast cancer associated with ever use of HT compared with never use was 0.58 (95% CI = 0.35 to 0.96; P = .03) [1]. In analyses by type of HT, an inverse association with breast cancer risk was observed with use of estrogen only (OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.27 to 0.98; P = .04); the association with use of estrogen plus progestogen was not statistically significant (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.34 to 1.27; P = .21).
This study is reassuring to women with a BRCA1 mutation as HRT use was not associated with increased risk of breast cancer; indeed, it was associated with a decreased risk.
1. Eisen A, Lubinski J, Gronwald J, et al; the Hereditary Breast Cancer Clinical Study Group.
Hormone Therapy and the Risk of Breast Cancer in BRCA1 Mutation Carriers.
J Natl Cancer Inst. 2008 Sep 23. [Epub ahead of print]
Margaret Rees
Heather Currie
30 September 2008
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