Women on HRT urged to review treatment with their GP following new breast cancer risk evidence
Women taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) should review it with their GP, government safety chiefs have said following new evidence linking the treatment to cancer.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Agency (MHRA) urged patients to “discuss the risks and benefits” at their next appointment after Oxford University scientists showed HRT boosts the risk of breast cancer by a third.
The Lancet study proved for the first time that the danger of cancer from the drugs lasts for up to 15 years after women come off the treatment.
It showed that patients on the most common form of HRT have a one in 50 chance of developing a cancers they would not otherwise have got.
“There is no need for urgent action but women who use, or are planning to use, HRT should be aware of these new findings when considering their HRT use at their next routine appointment,” the MHRA said in a statement.
The agency also encouraged women who have previously used HRT to be vigilant for signs of breast cancer.
Approximately a million women in the UK take HRT to ease symptoms of the menopause such as hot flushes and night sweats.
Use fell dramatically after 2000 when the initial research suggesting a link to breast cancer began to emerge, however it has since increased and in recent years some campaigners have questioned the strength of the evidence.
Friday's study comes amid claims that GPs have become increasingly reluctant to stress the cancer risk to their patients.
The MHRA said: “Women should use the lowest effective dose of HRT for the shortest duration and HRT should only be continued as long as the benefit in alleviating menopausal symptoms outweighs the risks associated with treatment.”
It added: “In all cases, a careful appraisal of all the risks and benefits should be undertaken regularly, as a woman’s need for treatment and chance of side effects changes over time.”
The Oxford researchers believe that around 5 per cent of all cases of breast cancer in the UK are due to HRT.
The NHS invites all women aged between 50 and 70 for breast cancer screening every three years.
Among other non-genetic risk factors for breast cancer are alcohol use and being overweight or obese.
However, the new Lancet study, which looked at data from more than 108,000 HRT users who had developed breast cancer, showed that oestrogen-progestagen HRT - the most common form - was more dangerous than being obese.
The risks of staying on HRT for 10 years were significantly higher than the risk for five years, while women who took HRT drugs for less than a year were not at extra risk of cancer.
Sarah Branch, deputy director of the MHRA’s vigilance and risk management of medicines division, said: “No medicine is completely without risk, but it is important for women to be able to make an informed decision about the risks and benefits that are appropriate for them.
“If you have any questions please talk to your healthcare professional.”
