HRT suggested to raise the risk of breast cancer

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Note: in 2004, the Women's Initiative Study on estogen alone had to be halted because of the higher incidence of breast and uterine cancer as well as heart attack, stroke and thrombosis. The HERS study on low dose birth control (estrogen-progestin) also was halted midterm - same reasons. Thus the study below was only the first to suggest a link between synthetic hormones and cancer. And yet, still in 2009, many women continue to take these medications, for both birth control and hormone replacement therapy. Instead of "running for the cure", how about considering running FROM the cause!

A study partially financed by Wyeth (producer of Premarin) and the American cancer society admitted that there was a very strong link between breast cancer and Hormone Replacement therapy.

The researchers followed 37,000 women for eleven years.

Women who had been on HRT for FIVE years or less had as much as an 80 percent greater chance of getting breast cancer than those who had NOT taken pharmaceutical hormones.

Women who had been on HRT longer than five years, had 165 percent greater chance of getting breast cancer.

But, researchers added, the type of breast cancer USUALLY caused by HRT has a better chance of being cured than other types of breast cancer. That's not saying much however. The fact remains that to cure breast cancer usually involves a mastectomy and long bouts of chemo and radiation therapy. And even in view of the fact that there are more cancer survivors today than in past years, it is estimated that 90,000 women die each year of breast cancer.

Knowledge of this link is nothing new. Researchers in the 1930's had known that injecting rats with estrogen caused them to come down with breast cancer.

What is new is that the American Cancer Society is admitting the link even though trying to underplay it as if ANY type of breast cancer is a walk in the park...

According to Wyeth-Ayrest, there are nine million women taking Premarin.

Perhaps it's time for those women on HRT to re-think their stategies as there are available, products which protect against breast cancer while relieving the symptoms of menopause. One of these, is TOFU, one of the most natural ways of obtaining estrogen. The other is the Progesterone Cream found in Health Food stores.

The Journal of the American Medical Association 1999;281:2091-2097, 2140-2141.