HRT scare - Awareness the key for women

TENS of thousands of Irish women taking hormone replacement therapy are understandably worried in the aftermath of a report showing that certain types of HRT can double the risk of developing breast cancer.

But while it is vital to heed the results of British medical research, it is equally important that women should consult their doctors before rushing into any decision to abandon a treatment which, for many, has been extremely beneficial in relieving the more debilitating symptoms of the menopause.

Not surprisingly, GPs and health centres are receiving numerous calls, as it is estimated that 65,000 women in this country use the treatment to boost falling hormone levels.

The survey covered a million HRT users in Britain, and a key element of the research that should not be overlooked is that it relates mainly to women using combined hormone replacement on a long-term basis.

Conducted by cancer researchers at Britain’s Epidemiology Unit in Oxford, the study suggests that while the single oestrogen-only pill moderately increases the risk of breast cancer, the more commonly used combined oestrogen and progesterone version doubles the risk.

The largest-ever study of links between HRT and cancer, it estimates the treatment may have been responsible for an extra 20,000 cases of cancer in Britain in the last decade.

The findings so alarmed Britain’s Committee on the Safety of Medicines it has written to all health professionals, stressing that, while short-term HRT use is beneficial, those taking it for more than a year should heed the risks and discuss them with their GP. Significantly, the Irish Medical Board is also advising women to consult their GPs.

Undeniably, the report, published in the authoritative medical journal The Lancet, will cause considerable anxiety. But it will also help women to make more informed choices about their health.

If the attendant publicity succeeds in convincing more Irish women to have their doctors carry out annual breast examinations, it will be a positive development.

Regrettably, despite doctors’ recommendations, many still fail to check their breasts on a monthly basis.

In line with best practice, women on HRT should be screened for breast cancer every year as a matter of course.

But according to a survey carried out for the Irish Cancer Society, almost one in three women never check their breasts for tell-tale lumps.

In light of the HRT scare, experts say the sensible approach is for a woman to use the therapy for only as long as necessary to deal with her medical problems and as advised by her doctor.

No doubt, for many women, the evidence will confirm long-held concerns about the risk of using combined HRT.

Any woman intending to embark on a long-term course of treatment would be advised to consider carefully the findings of the British study.

It is essential to heed the views of experts who point out that, for many women, HRT is highly beneficial.

It is also important to reiterate the advice that any woman who may be confused about the issue should consult her GP and, above all, not panic.