HRT 'increases ovarian cancer risk'
- February 15, 2015, 5:16 pm
- Breaking News
- 48 Views
HQ City Desk
QUETTA: Hormone replacement therapy increases the risk of ovarian cancer, analysis of 52 separate studies has found.
The University of Oxford research, in the Lancet, found an extra case for every 1,000 women taking the drugs for five years from the age of 50.
Lead researcher Sir Richard Peto said claims there was no risk for short courses of HRT "simply isn't true".
A leading cancer charity said this was a "modest increase on a relatively uncommon cancer."
Medical charities said the findings were robust, but said the risk did fall after HRT stopped.
HRT drugs are used to alleviate the symptoms of the menopause, which can be so severe they interfere with day-to-day life.
In the UK, women take HRT mostly for between two and five years.
There is an increased risk of breast cancer, which has been well documented. However, the drugs have also been found to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and bowel cancers.
But the impact on ovarian cancer has been debated, particularly for those taking the drug for less than five years.
Scientists behind the latest study, which looked at data from 52 separate studies including 21,500 women with ovarian cancer, say it proves there is a link.
Prof Sir Richard Peto told the BBC News website: "It's a risk, about a million women in this country have HRT and 1,000 will get ovarian cancer from it."
