The UK’s drug licensing body suggested women who have used HRT in the past or use it now should be vigilant for signs of breast cancer in the light of the findings, while the Royal College of GPs urged them not to panic but to consult their doctor if they are concerned. Gallery: 40 Most Common Types of Cancer in People Over 40 (Best Life) That risk is twice what was thought, because it continues at some level for 10 or more years after women stop taking HRT. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) said women who are taking or have ever taken HRT should be vigilant and may want to talk to their doctor next time they have a routine appointment. But the issue has been fraught with controversy, pitching supporters of HRT – including many gynaecologists – against the epidemiologists concerned about cancer risks. The British Menopause Society rejoiced at the recent guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), which its members helped write. Sir Richard Peto, professor of medical statistics and epidemiology at the Nuffield department of population health, University of Oxford, said they could now be certain that HRT is a cause of about 5% of breast cancers. The paper, by the global Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer, pulled together data from 58 studies around the world on more than 108,000 women who had developed breast cancer after taking menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) – they say “replacement” therapy or HRT is a misnomer and a marketing description. In western countries, 6.3% of women of average weight will develop breast cancer over the 20 years from the age of 50 without any hormone therapy. The study found that rose to 8.3% among women taking the most common hormonal combination – oestrogen plus daily progestogen. Research shows that, for most women, HRT helps to manage menopausal symptoms and is safe,” said gynaecologist Prof Janice Rymer, the vice-president of the college.
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