Hormone replacement therapy and the breast

The benefits of hormone replacement

therapy (HRT) in relieving oestrogen

deficiency symptoms and in the longer term

conferring protection against osteoporosis and

probably the primary prevention of arterial

disease are recognized. Despite these obvious

benefits the overwhelming evidence for the

oestrogen dependency of breast cancer implies

that HRT exposure will increase the risk of

developing breast cancer and disease

recurrence. However, review of available

clinical data suggests that this may not be the

cause and demonstrates that breast cancer is a

disease that defies theoretical predictions.