Hormone replacement therapy elevates ovarian cancer risk
pharmafile | February 13, 2015 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | Cancer, HRT, Lancet, Oxford, oncology, ovarian
According to a new study women who undergo hormone replacement therapy nearly double their risk of developing ovarian cancer.
Findings published in the Lancet medical journal also show that even those who took it for less than five years raised their risk levels. The work was conducted by researchers from the University of Oxford who analysed 52 previous studies involving over 21,000 women.
The researchers add: “The findings that ovarian cancer risk is greatest in current users of hormone therapy, falls after use ceases, and varies by tumour type, strongly suggest a causal relationship – ie, that among otherwise similar women, use of hormone therapy increases the probability of developing the two most common types of ovarian cancer, and hence ovarian cancer as a whole.”
This is not the first time a link between HRT and heightened cancer risk, almost 12 years ago Pharmafile reported a study revealing it doubled the risk of breast cancer, but then six years later we also published findings that HRT can actually reduce a woman’s risk of bowel cancer.
Current World Health Organization, US and European guidelines around hormone therapy do not reference ovarian cancer. The UK rules which are due to be revised – state only that risk may be increased with long-term use.
This University of Oxford analysis showed there was an extra case for every 1,000 women taking the drugs for five years from the age of 50. Professor Sir Richard Peto who is a co-author of the study, added there would be one extra death for every 1,700 people taking hormone replacement therapy.
Around 7,100 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the UK each year, and medical charities have told the BBC that these findings were robust, but said the risk did fall after HRT stopped.
Deputy director of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) vigilance and risk management of medicines division, Dr Sarah Branch, says: “Our advice has always been that the lowest effective dose of HRT should be used for the shortest possible time.”
She adds: “The decision to start, continue or stop HRT should be made jointly by a woman and her doctor, based on the best advice available and her own personal circumstances, including her age, her need for treatment and her medical risk factors.”
Brett Wells
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