Summary of current evidence from the Australasian Menopause Society Council meeting held 1 March 2009 

• Assessment of possible breast cancer risk is an important part of the overall assessment of benefit and risk for each woman considering the use of HRT.
• A large body of evidence from clinical trials and from epidemiological studies shows that women who use combined HRT (oestrogen with a progestogen) for more than 3-5 years may be at a small increased risk of breast cancer, similar to the risk associated with an older age at menopause.
• The risk of breast cancer is greater for combined HRT than for oestrogen alone, is greater the longer women use HRT and is greater in thinner women than in overweight and obese women.
• After women stop using HRT their risk of breast cancer returns within 2-5 years to the level observed in women who are not HRT users.
• There is some evidence that the type of progestogen in HRT may be important for risk of breast cancer but more information is needed.
• There is a lack of evidence to estimate the risk of breast cancer for ‘bio-identical' hormone treatment.
• For most women with significant symptoms around the time of menopause the benefits of HRT outweigh the risks.

AMS Bioidentical fact sheet

http://www.menopause.org.au/consumers/information-sheets/34-bioidentical-hormones-for-menopausal-symptoms

IMS statement

http://www.imsociety.org/pdf_files/comments_and_press_statements/ims_press_statement_13_05_08.pdf

NAMS Statement

http://www.menopause.org/PSHT08.pdf

Content updated 3 March 2009