Study: HRT Does Not Appear to Adversely Affect Breast Cancer Survival

Women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may have an increased risk of developing breast cancer, but appear to not be any more likely to die from breast cancer than women who do not take HRT, according to researchers at the University Hospital South Manchester in England.

In their report to the 7th Nottingham International Breast Cancer Conference, doctors report that prior HRT use does not appear to adversely affect breast cancer survival rates.

Researchers conducted a study of 589 women suffering from first-incident screen-detected breast cancer between 1991 and 1997. Of this group, 417 of the women had never taken HRT and 172 had taken HRT. The lymph node status and size of the tumors did not differ between the two groups of women.

Researchers found that 91 percent of the women who used HRT were still living after 10 years, compared with 88 percent of the women who had not taken HRT.

Other Sources: University Hospital South Manchester