Ovarian Cancer | 07/15/2009 8:55 am

Ladies, Think Twice About Taking Hormone Replacement Therapy for Menopause

Danish researchers say HRT, which many women take to keep hormones in check, increases risk of ovarian cancer.

By The Staff at wowOwow.com

Have you taken hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after menopause? You may want to think twice about popping those next pills.

In the years before and during menopause, the levels of female hormones can fluctuate, which may cause hot flashes and other symptoms. Some women opt to take HRT to relieve these symptoms and to possibly protect against osteoporosis.

But researchers in Denmark say that of the more than 900,000 Danish women ages 50 to 79 who took HRT after menopause, there were 140 extra cases of ovarian cancer linked to that treatment over eight years, or 5% of the women total. They found that women who take HRT have a 38% greater risk of getting ovarian cancer than those who don’t, and a 44% increased risk of epithelial ovarian cancer, which is cancer that begins on the outer lining of the ovary. The results were reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Reuters notes that these findings are similar to those in the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study, which found an increased risk of ovarian cancer, breast cancer, strokes and other health problems from hormone therapy. Because ovarian cancer is so lethal, doctors warn that even the slightest increased risk for it should be taken very seriously. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) also has said certain types of HRT have a higher risk, and each woman’s own risks can vary depending upon health history and lifestyle.

"The study suggests that no type of hormone seems safe regarding the risk of ovarian cancer," study author Lina Steinrud Morch of the gynecological clinic at the Rigshospitalet of Copenhagen University in Denmark, told Bloomberg. "If a woman has a special predisposition for ovarian cancer, she should consider not taking hormones."

In the U.S., the American Cancer Society estimates that in 2009, there will be 21,550 new cases of ovarian cancer, and 14,600 deaths from it. It is the ninth most common cancer in women (not counting skin cancer), and ranks fifth as the cause of cancer death in women. Around two-thirds of women with ovarian cancer are 55 or older. It’s more common in white women than African American women.

Those are definitely numbers to take seriously! NIH says to be sure to talk to your doctor to discuss the risks and benefits of HRT to you. And if you do decide to take it, take it in the lowest dose possible, for the shortest duration possible.

In other health news, Irish and American researchers said this week that new tests assessing brain changes and body chemistry are showing promise at diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease in its earliest stages, reports Reuters.

32 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Damn. I’ve been thinking about talking to my doc about hormones. But nothing i read is good.

By Chrome Toe on 07/15/2009 9:07 am

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What I don’t understand is - birth control pills are hormone therapy, and they reduce your risk of ovarian cancer. Why is it that post-menopause, hormone therapy then increases your chance? Are they using different hormones?

By Lila Kuh on 07/15/2009 9:23 am

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No, Lila, and they do NOT reduce risk of ovarian cancer.

Just start googling for more information on this yourself. Pubmed is a great resource for objective, clinical data, and Our Bodies OurSelves, but in fact, there’s been no dearth of information on this the past 20 years. problem? Women will not listen, will not use common sense when it comes to body changes and/or discomforts, nor will most take time out to care for themselves - a pill is "quicker" … supposedly, but death is longer.

Walking controls ‘hot flashes’ - even after hysterectomies, and Vitamin B Complex with about 100 B6 daily does wonders for the body going through hormone changes, and/or the neuropathy from chemo, etc. as well as B12 injections weekly, or the sub-lingual B12 (ask the doc!). And, when uncomfortable during menses, what in blazes is wrong with taking a day off with a heating pad, to rest? Women will not do that anymore - they’d rather get a pill for PMS, but don’t realize that "PMS" goes into that big satellite in the sky on their medical records as a psychiatric diagnosis, not a medical diagnosis.

Adding exogenous hormones (from the outside) to smoking and/or drinking alcohol, and some are living with a time-bomb.

When anyone suggests giving hormones, remember, unless each individual knows what they usual hormone levels are, there is no way "supplementation" can be accurate (ie after hysterectomy). A visit to an gynecological endocrinologist is worth the time.

We don’t need the estrogen either - if there is breast cancer in the family it behooves women to find out what the cell type was (the women who had bc can have NCI review their pathology slides, and tissue blocks to find out objective information, and benefit from a 2nd opinion on it). Hence, women should not scarf down soy products either, without know their family history - remember, the promotion of "soy" is a marking game, there’s nothing scientific about it. Soy is a phyto-estrogen, hence acts as estrogen in the body - for some women, that is not helpful.

By C jay on 07/16/2009 2:20 am

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Here’s a large PDF file on hormone therapy—it’s worthwhile reading I believe.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/women/pht_facts.pdf

By F P on 07/15/2009 9:27 am

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HRT does not seem to have significant benefits to outweigh the risks - back to the drawing board for a safe replacement for HRT!

By Green Tears on 07/15/2009 9:28 am

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I am a fan of bioidentical hormones and have been using them for over 10 years.

It’s important to do your own research and realize most of the testing done is with synthetic hormones - not bioidenticals.

There are many reports I have read that prove that bioidentical HRT is beneficial to ward of the diseases of aging. It’s also important to note that the age of the woman taking them. The earlier the better after the onset of menopausal symptoms.

By Linda Franklin on 07/15/2009 9:37 am

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what kind are you taking, and do I need a prescription?

By Thelma Leopold on 07/22/2009 2:34 pm

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If a woman has had a total hysterectomy, then premarin can ease some of the mood swings and hot flashes afterwards. My total hysterectomy was over 10 years ago and I take a low dose and feel very comfortable. When I got cancer I asked the doctor if this would be a problem but my type of cancer wasnt related to hormone replacement. Best to talk to your doctor and find out the risks. For me, it was worth it.

By Judy K. on 07/15/2009 11:32 am

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Judy,

I went on HRT after 3 days of hot flashes and night sweats which woke me up in the middle of the night and made it difficult to go back to sleep. That was 20+ years ago and it was the best thing I ever did. I’m still taking them.

By Andrea Brandon on 07/16/2009 12:20 am

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After reading all the posts I can see that there is a lot of viewpoints but I agree with you. I would cry watching commercials and be so anxiety-prone it bordered on hysteria. It was ridiculous not to take a low dose of premarin. And, after counting back it has been more like 18 years since I started taking the premarin and I will continue to do so. It might be different for women who have not had a total hysterectomy because then they taken progesterin (sp?) with the estrogen but, for me, a little estrogen goes a long way in keeping me sane.

By Judy K. on 07/16/2009 1:53 am

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I walked each morning, Andrea - so for you now, stay close to an excellent doctor.

By C jay on 07/16/2009 2:22 am

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C jay,

I have had nothing but the best, fortunately, since all this began. Mine was not peri-menopause, but rather a pituitary microadenoma, that caused the symptomology.

I might also mention that those people with any autoimmune arthritis are not always able to walk or exercise every day.

By Andrea Brandon on 07/16/2009 9:41 am

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Thank you for the information on hormone therapy. I took premprin for about 5 years because I was concerned I would lose my job for being so irritable.

I got off of hormones when I retired. I don’t want to lose my life because of taking hormones.

By Norma Grooms on 07/15/2009 11:34 am

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I was at my Gyno on Monday for my annual exam and am currently on a patch.

She told me that we will wean me off at age 60. But that the benefits outweigh the risk in my case at 55. My mother has osteoparosis and I have no predisposition to ovaraian cancer.

This is so confusing!

By S.J. Morgan on 07/15/2009 1:13 pm

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If that is scientifically true, S.J. why are you being weaned off at age 60. come on! Be careful and don’t readily buy the "benefits outweigh the risk" - and there’s nothing objectively proven that estrogen prevents osteoporosis.

Were you advised to take a hefty does of Vit D3, daily, and calcium with magnesium daily (in increasing doses with age?), and increase your fiber so the calcium and D can ‘work’ miracles for your body? If not, why not? Read, you won”t be confused if you do.

Simply put, the more we avoid prescriptions, the better off we are. That and short, rapid excercise sessions 3X/week (spurts, rests, spurts, etc.) is healthy and increases the heart rate. (Kind of like the old days when we had to run for busses and street cars, daily.)

By C jay on 07/16/2009 2:27 am