subject: The Dangers of HRT and Breast Cancer [print this page] Of course many of you have heard of the dangers of hormone replacement therapy, but what specifically are the dangers? Are they really that risky, or do some make a big deal out of nothing? Let's discover some of the reasons behind the scare, and what your choices are available for women to ease their menopause symptoms.
According to the Women's Health Initiative study made in 2002, there is certainly a link between HRT and breast cancer. Here are some of there findings:
Women that were taking both estrogen and progesterone together showed an elevated risk of breast cancer after four years. The dangers were so apparent that this part of the study was actually cancelled.
Women taking estrogen and progestin tended to have larger, fast-growing tumors than women taking a placebo.
Believe it or not, women taking estrogen only actually had less cancers than women taking placebos! For these women, out of a group of 5,000 only 129 got cancer while 161 taking the placebo were stricken with cancer.
In another study called the HERS (Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study) similar findings were a result, although this study had less than 3,000 participants. In another study of 120,000 participants called the Nurses Health Study the use of hormones was a much longer period of time. After typically 20 years of taking both estrogen and progestin, the incidence of breast cancer was also slightly higher.
So what does it all mean? The statistics seem alarming, but it really depends on not only what hormones you take, but other factors as well. Your genetics as well as your eating and exercise habits are also major factors, and also environmental surroundings. The one thing you can control and must do on a regular basis is to do self-examination of your breasts every month.
According to the American Cancer Society every woman needs to examine her breasts every single month, at least, after the age of 20. They also offer free self-exam plastic cards that you can hang in your shower to show you exactly how to do the exam itself.
The most common symptom of a breast cancer is a small, hard and immovable lump in the breast. The lump may or may not even be tender or painful, so don't imagine that you will feel anything necessarily. Sometime you may see an indentation or thickness to the skin over a lump; it is also possible for one of the nipples to leak a dark fluid periodically. If you see any of these signs be certain you contact your doctor immediately for further examination. Never assume it is something harmless.
There are many symptoms of menopause and also many cures for these symptoms. Learn as much as you can about them, and you can take positive steps to find relief for yourself.
Learn more by visiting us at natural menopause remedies site and reading our massive article collection!
The Dangers of HRT and Breast Cancer
By: Doug Hart
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