Hormone Therapy May Increase Risk of Cancer, study says!

WASHINGTON (AP) A study shows a modest increased risk of ovarian cancer among women who use some forms of hormone replacement therapy, but researchers say the findings are not strong enough to recommend changes.

In the study, which appeared Tuesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Swedish researchers report that women using estrogen replacement therapy had a 43% increase risk of ovarian cancer, while those combining estrogen with sequential progestins had a 54% increased risk.

The authors, however, said that the results need to be verified by other researchers and noted: "We advocate cautious interpretations of our results and do not recommend changes to current (hormone replacement therapy) prescribing practices."

In absolute numbers, the researchers said, the increased risk of cancer was only modest. For every 1,000 women on hormone therapy, there would be only two to three more cases of ovarian cancer, they said. In Sweden, ovarian cancer is diagnosed in about 1 percent of women between 50 and 75, regardless of hormone therapy use, the author noted.

The study is the latest to raise questions about the common practice of prescribing estrogen hormone supplements for women after menopause. The hormones are taken by millions of women to combat hot flashes, osteoporosis (the brittle bone disorder) and other complications of menopause.

Recent study has challenged the long-held belief that hormone supplements ward off heart disease. Other research has linked the hormone therapy to a slight increase in the risk of breast cancer.