Combined HRT cannot save itself.Combined estrogen and progestin progestin /pro·ges·tin/ (-jes´tin) progestational agent. pro·ges·tin n. 1. A natural or synthetic progestational substance that mimics some or all of the actions of progesterone. hormone therapy Hormone therapy Treating cancers by changing the hormone balance of the body, instead of by using cell-killing drugs. Mentioned in: Breast Cancer, Thyroid Cancer hormone therapy has reached new levels of controversy in recent months. The health benefits do not appear to be worth the risks. In May, two studies in JAMA JAMA abbr. Journal of the American Medical Association reported the results of a four-year study of 4,532 women among 39 different medical centers. The women (age 65+) who took a widely-prescribed combination of estrogen and progestin developed Alzheimer's at twice the rate of the same-aged placebo group (there were 40 cases total vs. 21 among the controls). While the number is not large, it certainly gives pause to many doctors and their patients who wonder if the risk is worth it. The evidence against this form of HRT HRT abbr. hormone replacement therapy Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) Also called estrogen replacement therapy, this controversial treatment is used to relieve the discomforts of menopause. does not stop there, however. It now appears that in addition to stimulating breast cancer growth, combined HRT makes tumors harder to detect. Early detection is a vital weapon in the battle against cancer. Among the 8,506 HRT subjects studied, 245 total cases were discovered vs. 185 among the 8, 102 placebos. 25.4% of the women using HRT had invasive breast cancers, vs. 16% in the placebo group. All subjects had yearly mammegrams. The cancers detected among the HRT subjects were larger, more advanced in nature and difficult to treat. Used by postmenopausal post·men·o·paus·al adj. Of or occurring in the time following menopause. postmenopausal Change of life Gynecology adjective Referring to the time in ♀ when menstrual periods stop for ≥ 1 yr women to reverse the onset of osteoporosis and for treatment of severe hot flashes and night sweats, combined estrogen and progestin therapy is an option the medical community seems on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of retiring. There are other documented risks in addition to these new findings, including an increased risk of myocardial infarction and of stroke. Women who take estrogen alone are being studied separately. (JAMA, 2003, Vol. 289, No. 24, pp. 3243-3253, 3254-3263) |
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