Hormone Replacement Therapy May Reduce Pancreatic Cancer Risk

In addition, pancreatic cancer is rare, so the risk of any woman in the study developing the condition was small. The reason for the opposite findings is not clear, the researchers said. But they speculate that the formulation and dose of estrogen in the different medications could play a role. Many birth control pills contain estrogen in combination with progestin, while estrogen-only HRT contains only estrogens. Some studies suggest that hormone replacement therapy reduces blood sugar levels and diabetes risk, two factors that may be important in the development of pancreatic cancer. These effects were seeen for both types of studies hormone replacement therapy . But one study suggested that, while estrogen-only HRT is linked with reduced levels of insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar), the addition of progestin to the therapy countered this effect on insulin.
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Extended follow-up of hormone therapy trials does not support use for chronic disease prevention

Women with an intact uterus received conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) (n = 8,506) or placebo (n = 8,102). Women with prior hysterectomy received CEE alone (n = 5,310) or placebo (n = 5,429). The intervention lasted a median [midpoint] of 5.6 years in the CEE plus MPA trial, and 7.2 years in the CEE alone trial, with 6-8 additional years of follow-up until September 30, 2010. The researchers found that overall, the risks of CEE+MPA during intervention outweighed the benefits.
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Hormone Therapy in Early Menopause May Benefit Some Women: Study

Its use should be decided on a case-by-case basis, the statement authors said. Breast cancer risk appears to increase when hormone replacement therapy is taken continuously for five years — and possibly less. The risk declines when hormone replacement therapy is stopped, the coalition said. The data and conclusions of research presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Copyright 2012 HealthDay . All rights reserved.
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