Ovarian cancer hormone replacement

Long-term use of hormone-replacement therapy and concurrent use of progestins appear to contribute to breast cancer risk.7 The use of postmenopausal estrogen-replacement therapy in women with a history of breast cancer generally is considered contraindicated. However, most experts believe that the safety and benefits of low-dose oral contraceptives currently outweigh the potential risks and that changes in the prescribing practice for the use of oral contraceptives are not warranted. Oral contraceptives are known to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by about 40% and the risk of endometrial cancer by about 60%. 

Hormone therapy has proven highly effective in controlling the menopausal syndrome, especially severe hot flushes (MacLennan et al. 2004), even at doses significantly lower than those used until now (Speroff et al. 2000 Utian et al. 2001). Women s Health Initiative studies found that hormone replacement therapy, when administered as a primary prevention intervention for CVD in older women, increases the risk of heart disease and breast cancer. Even if a protective effect on fracture and colon cancer was observed, the risk-benefit ratio led to a recommendation of this treatment only for the short-term relief of menopausal symptoms (Rossouw et al. 2002 Anderson et al. 2004). The role of early administration of ovarian hormones to young postmenopausal women in the prevention of cardiovascular disease or late dementia remains... 

This combination product is on example of a combined hormone replacement therapy that increases the risk of stroke slightly and, with long-term use, increases the risk of ovarian cancer slightly. Hormone replacement therapy alleviates symptoms of menopause and can be used as a prophylaxis of osteoporosis. 

Estrogens are most commonly used as a component of combination contraceptives or as hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women. Benefits in postmenopausal women include relief of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms and decreased risk of osteoporosis. Hormone replacement therapy also may be used in vaginal and vulvar atrophy and in hypoestrogenism caused by hypogonadism, castration, or primary ovarian failure. Less commonly, select breast or prostate cancer... 

While the risk that hormone replacement therapy may cause endometrial tumors has been widely discussed, less attention has been given to the possibility that it could increase the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer. Since cancer of the ovary has some risk factors in common with endometrial cancer (notably low parity and obesity), this possible risk needs to be considered, especially in view of the fact that the endometrioid epithelial type of ovarian tumor is histologically so similar to adenocarcinoma of the endometrium. 

Riman T, Dickman PW, Nilsson S, Correia N, Nordlinder H, Magnusson CM, Weiderpass E, Persson IR. Hormone replacement therapy and the risk of invasive epithelial ovarian cancer in Swedish women. J Natl Cancer Inst 2002 94(7) 497-504. 

The associations between hormone replacement therapy and breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers are discussed in the monograph on estrogens. 

Bose CK. Does hormone replacement therapy prevent epithelial ovarian cancer Reprod Biomed Online. 2005 11 86-92. 

Lacey JV, Mink PJ, Lubin JH, et al. Menopausal hormone replacement therapy and risk of ovarian cancer. JAMA 2002 288 3343-3341. 

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with oestrogen and progesterone is no longer recommended and should not be used as first line treatment in post-menopausal women for osteoporosis. This is because of the increased risk of breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer with HRT. Its use should be reserved for patients in whom other drugs are contraindicated, not tolerated or ineffective. HRT is most effective if started early in the menopause and continued for up to five years (after which osteoporosis will return, possibly at an accelerated rate). 

Hormone replacement therapy cardiovascular reactions, 31.659 ovarian cancer, 32.740 Hormones, sex... 

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