What are the risks of estrogen/progesterone hormone replacement therapy (HRT)?
In 1997, 51 studies from 21 countries were reanalyzed and concluded that HRT increases the risks of breast cancer slightly in women who use it for 5 years or longer. Surprisingly, the American Cance Society’s Cancer Prevention Study found that in 422,373 women, use of HRT was associated with a 16% lower risk of dying from breast cancer. As a general guide, the following table may be helpful.